While this will probably not suffice for those wanting a dark and eerie love story, readers interested in historical fiction...
In this fast-paced mystery set in early-19th-century Scotland, 16-year-old Josie Ferguson is sent to live with estranged relatives after losing both of her parents to influenza.
When Josie arrives at her new home, she finds little solace in the company of her cold and indifferent Uncle Caleb and Aunt Minnie. The house is drab and run-down, their ferocious dog—Lamb—watches Josie’s every move, and sections of the house are off-limits. Josie eventually stumbles into Eli Stuart, a handsome local boy, but she soon learns that he too is forbidden. The book’s title suggests a tale of verboten love, but the romance between Josie and Eli is underwhelming and comes off as an afterthought. Readers may actually find more enjoyment in the mystery surrounding Uncle Caleb and Aunt Minnie and their sinister intentions for Josie. Similarly, while the book’s marketing suggests a frightening read, its gloomy backdrop is perhaps the scariest element of the story and not likely to induce nightmares for readers above the age of 10. Although Bunting skillfully establishes an ominous setting and tone within the first chapter to quickly engage and unnerve readers, what follows does not live up to its promise.
While this will probably not suffice for those wanting a dark and eerie love story, readers interested in historical fiction or a mildly creepy mystery (or both) will enjoy it. (historical note) (Historical fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-544-39092-8
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2015
Despite the stale fat-to-curvy pattern, compelling world building with a Southern European, pseudo-Christian feel,...
Adventure drags our heroine all over the map of fantasyland while giving her the opportunity to use her smarts.
Elisa—Princess Lucero-Elisa de Riqueza of Orovalle—has been chosen for Service since the day she was born, when a beam of holy light put a Godstone in her navel. She's a devout reader of holy books and is well-versed in the military strategy text Belleza Guerra, but she has been kept in ignorance of world affairs. With no warning, this fat, self-loathing princess is married off to a distant king and is embroiled in political and spiritual intrigue. War is coming, and perhaps only Elisa's Godstone—and knowledge from the Belleza Guerra—can save them. Elisa uses her untried strategic knowledge to always-good effect. With a character so smart that she doesn't have much to learn, body size is stereotypically substituted for character development. Elisa’s "mountainous" body shrivels away when she spends a month on forced march eating rat, and thus she is a better person. Still, it's wonderfully refreshing to see a heroine using her brain to win a war rather than strapping on a sword and charging into battle.
Despite the stale fat-to-curvy pattern, compelling world building with a Southern European, pseudo-Christian feel, reminiscent of Naomi Kritzer's Fires of the Faithful (2002), keeps this entry fresh. (Fantasy. 12-14)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-06-202648-4
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011
Well-educated American boys from privileged families have abundant options for college and career. For Chiko, their Burmese counterpart, there are no good choices. There is never enough to eat, and his family lives in constant fear of the military regime that has imprisoned Chiko’s physician father. Soon Chiko is commandeered by the army, trained to hunt down members of the Karenni ethnic minority. Tai, another “recruit,” uses his streetwise survival skills to help them both survive. Meanwhile, Tu Reh, a Karenni youth whose village was torched by the Burmese Army, has been chosen for his first military mission in his people’s resistance movement. How the boys meet and what comes of it is the crux of this multi-voiced novel. While Perkins doesn’t sugarcoat her subject—coming of age in a brutal, fascistic society—this is a gentle story with a lot of heart, suitable for younger readers than the subject matter might suggest. It answers the question, “What is it like to be a child soldier?” clearly, but with hope. (author’s note, historical note) (Fiction. 11-14)
Pub Date: July 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-58089-328-2
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2010
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