THE GAUNTLET, by Karuna Riazi

The story: On her 12th birthday, an intriguing game gives itself to Farah" The Gauntlet of Blood and Sand. Before she knows it, she and her friends Alex and Essie are pulled into the game--literally--in search of her younger brother, Ahmad, who's disappeared. They must overcome the dangerous challenges given by the Architect of the game...or they'll become part of The Gauntlet forever.

June Cleaver's ratings: Language G; Violence PG; Sexual content G; Nudity G; Substance abuse G; Magic & the occult PG; GLBT content G; adult themes PG; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: I was surprised that, in her comments, the author didn't at least give a nod to "Jumanji", since so many elements of this story are so shamelessly borrowed from that earlier book/movie. However, since she changes things up with Farah's Pakistani background, and since the game itself has a sort of Arabian Nights feel, this will appeal not just to lovers of that "eaten by a game" genre, but to those looking for a different cultural feel for their action and adventure.