City of the Plague God by Sarwat Chadda

My name is Sik, and I can't believe all those tales and myths I grew up hearing are actually true. It started when I checked out a noise in the alley and was soon introduced to Nergal, god of disease and plague. Now, my parents are in the hospital with an unknown illness, and I'm staying with Ishtar, Mesopotamian goddess of love and war, and her goddaughter Belet. Belet used her ninja skills to rescue me from an attack at school, but Ishtar seems to think I can be a great warrior. The legendary sword Kasusu disagrees and won't even try to help with training me. I miss my brother Mo, and I can't help speaking to him in my mind. It helps me think about my problems. I don't understand why I've been thrown into the middle of this godly war, but I will do everything I can to save my parents.

This book had a Percy Jackson feel to it, but the backdrop was based on the Iraqi culture. There was a great deal of vocabulary and culture that was unknown to me, so it took a little while to connect with the story. The gods, myths, traditions, and foods were unfamiliar, although most of them could be understood using the story's context. The plot included some mystery, since Sik had no idea what Nergal wanted from him. This allowed me to wonder and search for clues about what was driving the conflict. Belet's character had a common personality found in middle grade books, since she was rather unfriendly and enjoyed fighting. She was similar to Annabeth from Percy Jackson books, although Belet was more insecure. The story touched on immortality and the moral, social issues of living forever. It also presented an interesting take on how a character's immortality might not be permanent. What? Overall, this book shared an introduction to a unique culture and its mythology. While it took me a few chapters to get fully into the story, I'm now very interested in reading a sequel. I recommend you give it a shot.