Mundi, Mariah. The Midas box

Kliatt, May, 2008 by Cara Chancellor

MUNDI, Mariah. The Midas box. Penguin, Putnam. 302p. c2008. 978-0-399-24347-9. $17.99. JSA*

The Sudan is where Mariah's parents were captured and supposedly killed, and the Sudan is where the man sitting in Mariah's train seat just came from. On his way to his first job at the coastal Prince Regent hotel, 15-year-old Mariah supposes he will have to get used to life's little oddities. He's right, but the mythology, murder, and mystery that await him at the hotel are hardly "little." After learning that every boy who previously held his post disappeared, Mariah begins a detective quest that leads him through steam tunnels, kraken lairs, tidal caves, and straight into a world of deadly magical devices and even deadlier people who seek them.

The Midas Box bears a striking resemblance to Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising series--albeit shorter, younger, and without the Arthurian influence--and will appeal to much the same broad audience. Mariah's hunt for objects of power, continual pursuit by menacing individuals with strange powers, and brush with a mysterious sea creature all call to mind that popular series, but Taylor gives them an irresistible Hitchcock-worthy feel with his emphasis on blown-out candles, dark and dank tunnels, and a never-ending supply of things that go bump in the dark. Cora Chancellor, Hollywood, FL

J--Recommended for junior high school students. The contents are of particular interest to young adolescents and their teachers.

S--Recommended for senior high school students.

A--Recommended for advanced students and adults. This code will help librarians and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This is also will help extend KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries.

*--The asterisk highlights exceptional books.