Alif was really excited to spend the summer working on her father's archaeological dig site. She had always enjoyed the painstaking work, even if some people would find it tedious.  Even better?  Four of her best friends were coming along!  The five friends weren't totally sure what the summer had in store, but none of them could have guessed the truth. I am a huge fan of the Indiana Jones movie franchise and the Lost TV series, and I was thrilled to find this book reminiscent of both. I can only hope someone turns this into a movie quickly!

When a man wandered into the camp, delirious and near death, Alif tried to make sense of his ramblings but everyone else assumed it was nonsense. And, then, the sandstorm came. Alif, her four friends, and her father's (super cute) research assistant were separated from the rest of the camp. The six of them wandered in the desert, certain they would die -- but then they came upon a mysterious oasis. Though they were seemingly saved by the oasis' food and water, there didn't seem to be any way out. And then some really strange things began to happen. Could that man have been in the oasis before them? And could his ramblings have any clues that would help them?

Happy Reading!