Remarkably grounded in realism while displaying a fantastic and imaginative nature.
Devlin dives into the opulent Cerenian court to save her home.
Once united, the two monarchies of Aris and Cerena are now locked in bitter hatred thanks to a shared history of betrayal. While the citizens of Aris live in fear of the next attack, with their magic casters’ dwindling ability to produce the enchanted, silvery filigree that holds the encroaching Mists and phantoms at bay, the people of Cerena live in fearless luxury, wasting filigree on ornamental uses. When Devlin is sent into Cerena to kidnap Layde Alyse, their strongest magic caster, she sees it as a chance to save her country and prove herself, both as a spy and as the daughter of the Whisperer of Aris. Going undercover as a Cerenian, Devlin learns about her enemy’s reality: the beauty of filigree art, social inequities, court politics, the true history of their world, and the nature of Alyse herself. The discussions of resource disparities between the countries, the importance of art, and the impact of societal trauma offer realistic parallels to modern societies. Asexual Devlin’s internal struggles with self-image—understanding her strength, dealing with failure, subsuming her own thoughts beneath her mother’s, and recognizing her own value—are contrasted with her budding friendship with trusting, optimistic Alyse. This work contains a hopeful message about pushing through self-doubt to make changes to your world. The cast is mostly assumed White.
Remarkably grounded in realism while displaying a fantastic and imaginative nature. (map) (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-335-40670-5
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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
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
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