What the River Knows by Isabel Ibanez

When Inez Olivera receives the sudden and tragic news of her parents' death, she decides to sail to Cairo, Egypt to get some answers. They were both seasoned travelers and Egypt was their home away from home, so Inez is sure that she isn't getting the whole story from her newly appointed guardian and his infuriating assistant. Determined to uncover the truth, Inez must rely on old world magic and her undeniable instincts to get to the bottom of what really happened.

I am so hit and miss with YA fiction. Sometimes I'm obsessed; sometimes not so much. This one was not so much for me. It was a little slow at times, and I struggled a bit connecting to these characters - likely because they are young adults, and I am not haha! Regardless, I appreciated the twists and visualizing Egypt during this time period was a lot of fun (very Mummy- esque). Some dynamics felt forced, and I wish the magical element had been a larger part of the plot, but overall, I enjoyed it just fine.

I love supporting local, independent, women-owned, and BIPOC bookstores. If you are interested in purchasing a copy of What the River Knows, may I encourage you to consider buying here? Bookshop (dot) org ensures that every purchase supports local and independent bookstores. Thank you!