An engaging YA fantasy/SF series debut.
A “time alley” transports a 10-year-old Chicago boy to Victorian London in Enfield’s series debut.
One late summer evening in Chicago after a family picnic, 10-year-old Mick Conway, unable to fall asleep, slowly becomes aware of an eerie, enticing sound, and then a growing, shimmering light, “a mix of blues swirling like juices in a blender.” Suddenly, he’s inside it, spinning, floating, banging around through one world after another, from desert to winter forest, completely disoriented. Just when he fears the harrowing experience may never end, the “time alley” drops him onto a rainy cobblestone street where three otheroddly dressed children greet him by warning him not to say his name or where he’s from. The place is London, and it’s 1853; Alison, Dolly, and Leech are Forsyth Institute students on patrol. Though it seems like an ordinary Victorian boarding school from the outside, the Forsyth Institute’s real purpose is to research how the time alleys work while rescuing children who “dropin” and teaching them to pass as ordinary Victorians. Every student and teacher at the Institute has also “dropped” from the future, having experienced a one-way trip that can only be taken before age 12. (Both the time alleys and the streets of London can be mortally dangerous, and there are strict rules about sharing information about the future for fear of changing it.) Though devastated to learn that he can’t go home, Mick (now nicknamed Gunner) gamely carries on, trying to adjust to the era’s formal manners, heavy clothing, and lack of electricity or modern plumbing. He soon discovers that he is able to see the details of time alleys more clearly than the others, and he starts to suspect something sinister is going on: The time alleys are becoming more and more erratic, and a suspicious hooded figure roams the Forsyth building at night. Despite the risks, Mick and his new friends secretly begin to investigate, only to uncover even more frightening possibilities.
Enfield’s writing is excellent, studded with vivid descriptions—the London sky seems “a damp rag, all smoke and dirty clouds”; a man’s shoes shine “like they had their own spotlights”; a tone-deaf singer is “enthusiastically attacking the melody”; and the telegraph is “steampunk texting.” Mick is observant, perceptive, and plucky, doing the best he can and maintaining a sense of humor in a situation that presents almost endless difficulties. The other students and faculty also display well developed personalities: Alison’s outward confidence masks deep sadness; Leech is always ready with a sarcastic quip; Dolly is insightful and fond of sweets; the librarian, Miss Emmet, is understanding and helpful; the headmistress is stern and intimidating. There is a great deal of background and scene-setting detailing the Institute’s customs (it dates back to the 1500s) and the features of time alleys, which take specific forms such as stirrings, whirlpools, glow-orbs, fairy paths, and fawkes, all of varying colors, sizes, and durations. There are occasional instances of foreshadowing before the main action gets going; things pick up in the second half, but the outcome feels somewhat rushed and incomplete, leaving the reader with more questions than answers. Nevertheless, the intriguing premise, relatable characters, and remaining mysteries will have readers eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.
An engaging YA fantasy/SF series debut.Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2024
ISBN: 9781961953222
Page Count: 300
Publisher: Wayzgoose Press
Review Posted Online: Dec. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2025
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 heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.
In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me, three characters tell their sides of the story.
Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind. (author’s note, content warning) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781728276229
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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