Mummy by Caroline B. Cooney - Book Review
Release: January 1, 1985
Format: Kindle
Publisher: Scholastic
Source: Kindle
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
Synopsis: Will the perfect senior prank turn out to be Emlyn’s last?
Emlyn is a good girl. She is the perfect studious and athletic daughter and sister. And, she studies hard, paints watercolors, and especially loves rowing crew. She doesn’t gossip. She is every parent and teacher’s dream. But Emlyn has a secret. She has an entire library in her head filled with terrifically terrible plots and jewel heists, corporate espionage, and other mischief.
She successfully hides her desire to be bad from the world. That is, until Jack, Mavis, Lovell, and Donovan approach her with their idea for a senior class to steal the famous mummy, Amaral-Re, from their local museum. Now Emlyn’s “mental library of Bad” will come in handy. But when the harmless heist turns out to be filled with real-life danger, will Emlyn’s mental bag of tricks be enough to save the mummy . . . and herself? This ebook features an illustrated biography of Caroline B. Cooney including rare images and never-before-seen documents from the author’s personal collection.
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About the Author Caroline B. Cooney: Caroline Cooney knew in sixth grade that she wanted to be a writer when "the best teacher I ever had in my life" made writing her main focus. "He used to rip off covers from The New Yorker and pass them around and make us write a short story on whichever cover we got. I started writing then and never stopped!"
When her children were young, Caroline started writing books for young people -- with remarkable results. She began to sell stories to Seventeen magazine and soon after began writing books. Suspense novels are her favorites to read and write. "In a suspense novel, you can count on action."
To keep her stories realistic, Caroline visits many schools outside of her area, learning more about teenagers all the time. She often organizes what she calls a "plotting game," in which students work together to create plots for stories. Caroline lives in Westbrook, Connecticut and when she's not writing she volunteers at a hospital, plays piano for the school musicals and daydreams!
Tedious Heist with Unlikable Cast
I picked up Mummy expecting supernatural thrills and got a heist story instead. Though honestly, that's not why this book disappointed me.
What Works:
The core concept of whether Emlyn can actually pull off stealing a mummy without getting caught holds some tension. Moreover, the second half improves slightly when her friends turn against her, creating genuine uncertainty about how she'll handle the betrayal and pressure. That conflict at least generates some momentum.
What Falls Short:
The characters ruin everything. Emlyn and her entire friend group are just exhausting! Nobody has redeeming qualities, making it impossible to root for anyone. Dr. Brisband briefly appears as the only tolerable presence, which says everything. Also, I initially appreciated Emlyn's growing empathy and struggle between right and wrong, but the final sentence of the book completely undermined that arc. It felt like Cooney deliberately snatched away any character growth just to be edgy.
The author also over-describes everything to death! Emlyn analyzes every moment into oblivion, slowing an already sluggish plot to a crawl. By the end, reading this felt like actual work rather than entertainment. Moreover, the climax lands awkwardly and lackluster, matching the overall weird energy of the story.
Some books tire you out, and Mummy absolutely falls into that category. The heist framework could have worked with better execution, but unlikable characters, bloated prose, and a frustrating ending make this one to skip.
Verdict:
Unless you're completing Cooney's bibliography, there's little reason to endure this. The premise intrigues, yet the execution drains any potential enjoyment. A rare misfire from an author capable of much better.
Perfect for:
Caroline B. Cooney completists only. Everyone else should grab her stronger titles instead.
Mummy
by Caroline B. Cooney
Synopsis
"Will the perfect senior prank turn out to be Emlyn’s last?
Emlyn is a good girl. She is the perfect studious and athletic daughter and sister. And, she studies hard, paints watercolors, and especially loves rowing crew. She doesn’t gossip. She is every parent and teacher’s dream. But Emlyn has a secret. She has an entire library in her head filled with terrifically terrible plots and jewel heists, corporate espionage, and other mischief.
She successfully hides her desire to be bad from the world. That is, until Jack, Mavis, Lovell, and Donovan approach her with their idea for a senior class to steal the famous mummy, Amaral-Re, from their local museum. Now Emlyn’s “mental library of Bad” will come in handy. But when the harmless heist turns out to be filled with real-life danger, will Emlyn’s mental bag of tricks be enough to save the mummy . . . and herself? This ebook features an illustrated biography of Caroline B. Cooney including rare images and never-before-seen documents from the author’s personal collection."
Release
January 1, 1985
Format
Kindle
Publisher
Scholastic
Source
Kindle
About the Author
Caroline B. Cooney
Caroline Cooney knew in sixth grade that she wanted to be a writer when "the best teacher I ever had in my life" made writing her main focus. "He used to rip off covers from The New Yorker and pass them around and make us write a short story on whichever cover we got. I started writing then and never stopped!"
When her children were young, Caroline started writing books for young people -- with remarkable results. She began to sell stories to Seventeen magazine and soon after began writing books. Suspense novels are her favorites to read and write. "In a suspense novel, you can count on action."
To keep her stories realistic, Caroline visits many schools outside of her area, learning more about teenagers all the time. She often organizes what she calls a "plotting game," in which students work together to create plots for stories. Caroline lives in Westbrook, Connecticut and when she's not writing she volunteers at a hospital, plays piano for the school musicals and daydreams!
My Review
Tedious Heist with Unlikable Cast
I picked up Mummy expecting supernatural thrills and got a heist story instead. Though honestly, that’s not why this book disappointed me.
What Works:
The core concept of whether Emlyn can actually pull off stealing a mummy without getting caught holds some tension. Moreover, the second half improves slightly when her friends turn against her, creating genuine uncertainty about how she’ll handle the betrayal and pressure. That conflict at least generates some momentum.
What Falls Short:
The characters ruin everything. Emlyn and her entire friend group are just exhausting! Nobody has redeeming qualities, making it impossible to root for anyone. Dr. Brisband briefly appears as the only tolerable presence, which says everything. Also, I initially appreciated Emlyn’s growing empathy and struggle between right and wrong, but the final sentence of the book completely undermined that arc. It felt like Cooney deliberately snatched away any character growth just to be edgy.
The author also over-describes everything to death! Emlyn analyzes every moment into oblivion, slowing an already sluggish plot to a crawl. By the end, reading this felt like actual work rather than entertainment. Moreover, the climax lands awkwardly and lackluster, matching the overall weird energy of the story.
Some books tire you out, and Mummy absolutely falls into that category. The heist framework could have worked with better execution, but unlikable characters, bloated prose, and a frustrating ending make this one to skip.
Verdict:
Unless you’re completing Cooney’s bibliography, there’s little reason to endure this. The premise intrigues, yet the execution drains any potential enjoyment. A rare misfire from an author capable of much better.
Perfect for:
Caroline B. Cooney completists only. Everyone else should grab her stronger titles instead.
