A creative, if sometimes-confusing, coming-of-age fantasy tale.
A neglected girl encounters unexplainable events in Herkert’s YA novel.
Thirteen-year-old Perry Shiner has a distant, neglectful single mother and a lonely life at school, so she’s become used to forging her own solitary path through adolescence. But although chaos is familiar to Perry, her town of Hex Point, New Jersey, is about to deal with supernatural events to which its residents aren’t accustomed. Perry, in a dream, encounters an otherworldly blue being that speaks to her: “It appeared to be swaying slightly, side to side, like it was adrift on the sea.” Unsure of what to think about it, she keeps her visions to herself—until a rekindled friendship results in a violent attack, and reveals a connection between “the other side” and her own reality. The young protagonist’s uncle, Martin Shiner—who also meets the blue being, who presents him with a warning involving Perry—and his family, alongside private investigator Alex Peters, who catches a whiff of the case, work hard to protect Perry from paranormal happenings. The tale is told through the alternating third-person perspectives of Perry, Martin, Alex, and others, so it may take a while for readers to piece together the various characters and events. At the start, readers are immediately dropped into an atypical scenario without any worldbuilding to explain why the town is specifically affected by the supernatural—and why a young, troubled teen is the one tasked with saving it. Characters are also surprisingly quick to believe the paranormal aspects of their situation; there’s little to no disbelief, reflection, or searching for answers, which results in behavior that feels inauthentic. That said, the author does a great job of painting an intricate picture of each scene—specifically Perry’s dreams and Martin’s supernatural encounters. However, such descriptions occasionally disrupt the story’s flow, burying important details and making it difficult to discern what’s significant and what’s not. Although questions are left unanswered, the conclusion satisfyingly addresses the novel’s themes of redemption, family, and second chances.
A creative, if sometimes-confusing, coming-of-age fantasy tale.Pub Date: Feb. 18, 2023
ISBN: 9798987827406
Page Count: 296
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Aug. 4, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
A thoughtful and thrilling story of life, death, and meaning.
Two teens train to be society-sanctioned killers in an otherwise immortal world.
On post-mortal Earth, humans live long (if not particularly passionate) lives without fear of disease, aging, or accidents. Operating independently of the governing AI (called the Thunderhead since it evolved from the cloud), scythes rely on 10 commandments, quotas, and their own moral codes to glean the population. After challenging Hon. Scythe Faraday, 16-year-olds Rowan Damisch and Citra Terranova reluctantly become his apprentices. Subjected to killcraft training, exposed to numerous executions, and discouraged from becoming allies or lovers, the two find themselves engaged in a fatal competition but equally determined to fight corruption and cruelty. The vivid and often violent action unfolds slowly, anchored in complex worldbuilding and propelled by political machinations and existential musings. Scythes’ journal entries accompany Rowan’s and Citra’s dual and dueling narratives, revealing both personal struggles and societal problems. The futuristic post–2042 MidMerican world is both dystopia and utopia, free of fear, unexpected death, and blatant racism—multiracial main characters discuss their diverse ethnic percentages rather than purity—but also lacking creativity, emotion, and purpose. Elegant and elegiac, brooding but imbued with gallows humor, Shusterman’s dark tale thrusts realistic, likable teens into a surreal situation and raises deep philosophic questions.
A thoughtful and thrilling story of life, death, and meaning. (Science fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: Nov. 29, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4424-7242-6
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 25, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2016
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