A fast-paced fantasy with a bold lead character and a well-developed fictional world.
A 17-year-old girl contends with otherworldly forces as she sets out to avenge her slain mother in Brown’s YA novel.
For suburbanite Zoey Marie Talbot, mythical creatures like pixies and trolls aren’t just fairy tale characters—they’re real. She’s blessed (or perhaps cursed) with the Sight, an inherited power that allows her to see nonhuman beings that live, work, and travel in the Human Realm; various spells keep their true forms concealed from other humans. Zoey has long been under strict orders to keep her power hidden so as not to attract the attention of the Mythical Council, who killed Zoey’s grandmother. Nevertheless, Zoey plans to register with them when she turns 18; she hates hiding her Sight, and registration would enable her to travel to other realms. However, after a demon murders Zoey’s mother, the teen finds a mysterious ring that her mother had carefully hidden, which fuses itself to her finger; she later discovers that it allows its wearer to access a valuable, secret map, which makes her a target. Then the Council discovers her, and she finds herself subjugated by an authority that’s completely alien to her. Determined to track down her mother’s killer, she reluctantly teams up with a half-demon named Tristan, who warns her that she shouldn’t trust anyone from other realms—not even him. Over the course of this novel, Brown presents a thrilling coming-of-age adventure story in a compelling urban fantasy setting. Zoey, a daring and sometimes-reckless protagonist, narrates the proceedings in a tone that effectively combines earnestness with teenage snark: “Why would anyone care if someone could see through spells? It was such a useless gift. Not like breathing fire or walking through walls.” Excellent worldbuilding conjures an ideal backdrop for plenty of action and misadventures. Readers will note some familiar fantasy-romance elements, especially when it comes to the developing relationship between Zoey and Tristan, but overall, the novel remains fresh and exciting.
A fast-paced fantasy with a bold lead character and a well-developed fictional world.Pub Date: Aug. 7, 2024
ISBN: 9781509255306
Page Count: 318
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.
The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.
Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798987380406
Page Count: 538
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
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
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