Clever, thought-provoking fun for all—especially for technology geeks and those who love them.
Iconic characters struggle between tyranny and anarchy when the computer game that they live within is attacked by a virus.
Noble is just an earnest knight in the computer game “Thanehaven Slayer” when he encounters young Rufus, who strongly suggests that he may be doomed if he doesn’t drop all the heroics and start thinking for himself. With Rufus’ mantra—“you don’t have to do this”—ringing in his ears, Noble sets out to change his computer world. When computer-world Rufus (aka “Ruthlessrufus”) turns out to be malware perpetrated by real-life computer owner Mikey’s best friend, Rufus, readers are brought in on the joke. Award-winning Australian author Jinks delivers neatly crafted middle-grade storytelling, effortlessly blending social commentary into the omniscient narration. Along the way, she lightly explores the tension between rules and freedom, order and chaos (“You can follow rules and still think for yourself”). By the end, the tale also reads like a parable aimed at young people unwittingly influenced by a mischievous or troubled friend.
Clever, thought-provoking fun for all—especially for technology geeks and those who love them. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: July 9, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-60684-274-4
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Egmont USA
Review Posted Online: May 1, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2013
A quick, agreeable caper, this may spark some discussion even as it entertains.
Myla and Peter step into the path of a gang when they unite forces to find Peter’s runaway brother, Randall.
As they follow the graffiti tags that Randall has been painting in honor of the boys’ deceased father, they uncover a sinister history involving stolen diamonds, disappearances, and deaths. It started long ago when the boys’ grandmother, a diamond-cutter, partnered with the head of the gang. She was rumored to have hidden his diamonds before her suspicious death, leaving clues to their whereabouts. Now everyone is searching, including Randall. The duo’s collaboration is initially an unwilling one fraught with misunderstandings. Even after Peter and Myla bond over being the only people of color in an otherwise white school (Myla is Indian-American; mixed-race Peter is Indian, African-American, and white), Peter can’t believe the gang is after Myla. But Myla possesses a necklace that holds a clue. Alternating first-person chapters allow peeks into how Myla, Peter, and Randall unravel the story and decipher clues. Savvy readers will put the pieces together, too, although false leads and red herrings are cleverly interwoven. The action stumbles at times, but it takes place against the rich backdrops of gritty New York City and history-laden Dobbs Ferry and is made all the more colorful by references to graffiti art and parkour.
A quick, agreeable caper, this may spark some discussion even as it entertains. (Mystery. 10-12)Pub Date: May 30, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4197-2296-7
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Review Posted Online: Feb. 19, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
In a novel that skillfully captures the nuances of small-town life, an elderly man reminisces about his annual trips from Chicago to his grandmother’s house in rural Illinois during the Depression. When the book opens, Joey and his sister, Mary Alice, nine and seven, respectively, learn that they will be spending a week every August with Grandma Dowdel. In eight vignettes, one for each summer from 1929—1935, with the final story set when Joey’s troop train passes through in 1942, Peck (Strays Like Us, 1998) weaves a wry tale that ranges from humorous to poignant. Grandma Dowdel, with her gruff persona and pragmatic outlook on life, embodies not only the heart of a small town but the spirit of an era gone by. She turns the tables on a supercilious reporter from the big city, bests the local sheriff, feeds the drifters of the Depression, inspires a brawl between elderly (ancient) war heroes, and more. Peck deftly captures the feel of the times, from the sublime bliss of rooting around the ice bin at the local store for a nickel Nehi during the dog days of summer, to a thrilling flight in a biplane. Remarkable and fine. (Fiction. 9-12)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1998
ISBN: 0-8037-2290-7
Page Count: 148
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1998
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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