This imaginative, lyrical coming-of-age story celebrates Black Girl Magic.
In this fairy-tale remix inspired by Jamaican folklore and Indigenous culture, three girls must learn to harness their power to topple a tyrant.
You, the story’s protagonist, are 6 when you first dream of the land of Xaymaca and befriend Kam and Zella, sister witches whose immense power emanates from their hair. The three of you are destined to fight the evil King who enslaved the witches’ coven, but what can you do without magic? Ten years later, that question remains as you—a Black British girl growing up in London—wrestle with insecurities, your feelings for your best friend (a boy named Baker), and your longing for acceptance by your popular white classmates. But with Kam now magicless and Zella trapped in a forest of her own hair, facing the King alone, you must make a choice: Will you run from your power or finally step into it? Told in verse and second-person prose, this story skillfully balances the whimsy of an enchanting fantasy world with a candid portrait of growing up and an incisive exploration of Black identity. Although opaque motivations at times reduce the characters to pawns of the plot, tempering the emotional impact of their actions, this rich, multilayered story begs for discussion; sophisticated readers will catch many of its nuances. Most named characters are Black; one is trans and part of a loving, on-page lesbian relationship.
This imaginative, lyrical coming-of-age story celebrates Black Girl Magic. (author’s note) (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: June 11, 2024
ISBN: 9781499816112
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Yellow Jacket
Review Posted Online: March 23, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2024
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
Exactly what the title promises.
A grieving teen’s devotion to romance films might ruin her chances at actual romance.
Liz Buxbaum has always adored rom-coms, not least for helping her still feel close to her screenwriter mother, who died when she was little. Liz hopes that her senior year might turn into a real-life romantic fantasy, as an old crush has moved back to town, cuter and nicer than ever. Surely she can get Michael to ask her to prom. If only Wes, the annoying boy next door, would help her with her scheming! This charming, fluffy concoction manages to pack into one goofy plot every conceivable trope, from fake dating to the makeover to the big misunderstanding. Creative, quirky, daydreaming Liz is just shy of an annoying stereotype, saved by a dry wit and unresolved grief and anger. Wes makes for a delightful bad boy with a good heart, and supporting characters—including a sassy best friend, a perfect popular rival, even a (not really) evil stepmother—all get the opportunity to transcend their roles. The only villain here is Liz’s lovelorn imagination, provoking her into foolish lies that cause actual hurt feelings; but she is sufficiently self-aware to make amends just in time for the most important trope of all: a blissfully happy ending. All characters seem to be White by default.
Exactly what the title promises. (Romance. 12-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-6762-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
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