A solid conclusion to a story with many spinning parts.
In this duology closer, heroes from The Devouring Gray(2019) must end the Gray and the Beast for good.
May seeks to restore her family’s sacred hawthorn tree, damaged when Harper lashed out at them, as she chafes against her complicated relationship with her mother. Meanwhile, Harper needs to learn to control her powers (and decide who to side with in the town’s conflicts). Violet and Isaac have teamed up on a research project to destroy the Beast once and for all—which is complicated by the return of Isaac’s last surviving brother (forcing him to face what happened the night of his ritual). And the Beast isn’t the only problem: A sinister corruption leaks from the Gray, infecting townspeople. The founders must unravel their ancestors’ secrets—the nature of the magic and the Beast—in order to fulfill their responsibilities. Reveals and surprises make up for an occasionally dragging pace. The romantic entanglements form an elaborate love quadrangle: Bisexual Violet has a crush on bisexual Isaac, who is in love with Justin, who loves Harper, who still has feelings for him despite their fraught-with-betrayal past (while, in their parents’ generation, Justin’s and Violet’s mothers—Augusta and Juniper, respectively—dated in high school). However, the relationships are given depth and nuance, especially when the characters work through familial, unreciprocated, or unequal feelings. Characters default to white.
A solid conclusion to a story with many spinning parts. (Paranormal/horror. 12-adult)Pub Date: April 21, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-368-02527-0
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion/LBYR
Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
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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