A fast-paced thriller for readers who can’t get enough of cool superpowers and impressive baddies.
In Bloss’ YA novel, a teenage boy discovers his hidden power to transform into animal form—an ability that others share and that some would like to use for evil.
Sixteen-year-old James Blade lives an ordinary life with his mother in Timberwood, California. Despite the mysterious disappearance of his father 10 years ago, James is a typical high schooler who loves hanging out with his best friend Danny and is crushing on Katie, the daughter of the police detective who tried (and failed) to locate James’s dad. But everything changes when James arrives home from school one day to find a trio of hooded figures holding his mother at knifepoint and demanding that he give them “The Codex.” From there, James is whisked into a mystifying world in which it’s revealed that he’s part of a group of people who have “Instincts,” animal forms they can transform into at will—and so was his father. James can’t fully control his Instinct, however, until he conquers a spiritual trial called “the Reckoning” (which he hilariously keeps misnaming “The Rednecking”). Holed up at a safe house with others who share his gift, James learns that the hooded figures were in fact brainwashed members of a group known as “the Blood Pact.” They take orders from their leader “Lifeblood,” who wants to find the Codex that will allow them to identify anyone with an Instinct. Now James must train for battle and master his animal form in order to prevent the Codex from falling into the wrong hands—and maybe find out what really happened to his father all those years ago. With Danny and Katie by his side, he’ll have to enlist help from some surprising sources to succeed.
While the novel is certainly geared toward a YA audience—complete with all of the coming-of-age drama that having a 16-year-old protagonist entails—readers should be aware that there are some moments of graphic violence and harsh language. Bloss largely keeps the narrative and dialogue moving at a brisk pace, despite an apparent fondness for onomatopoeias that occasionally threatens to veer the action into comic-book territory: “At the base, the bracelets expand and twist into the palms of my closed hands. They form into handles, conforming perfectly to my grip. Suddenly, piercing knives shoot out of the bottom of my fist with a shing and curve into what look like fangs.” James himself is an immensely likeable protagonist, one whose shock at discovering his abilities feels endearingly believable (“Not that I’m complaining or anything, but how the hell am I alive?”). He must also cope with the fact that some of his fellow classmates are actively being brainwashed into the Blood Pact, which adds a compelling moral dilemma into the mix. The story concludes on a major cliffhanger that, while not likely to truly shock most readers, sets things up nicely for the next entry in the series. Bloss adroitly examines themes of friendship, family, and the hidden strength that lies within everyone, neatly wrapping it all up in a fun and adrenaline-fueled adventure.
A fast-paced thriller for readers who can’t get enough of cool superpowers and impressive baddies.Pub Date: Nov. 6, 2021
ISBN: 9798761048751
Page Count: 427
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Feb. 19, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.
In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me, three characters tell their sides of the story.
Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind. (author’s note, content warning) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781728276229
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
