Overall, a promising book that would have benefited from another draft or two
For thousands of years in Range, the same one million souls have been born, lived, died and been reborn. But when Ciana died, she wasn't reborn: Ana was born, for the first time.
Now 18, Ana is leaving the mother who hated her behind. When an encounter with the terrifying sylph drives her to leap off a cliff into a lake, she is certain that her new, young soul will soon be an expired one. Kindly Sam rescues her and takes her to the city of Heart, where she hopes to find answers to the questions of her origin. There, she must battle both the ingrained sense of low worth instilled by her hostile mother and the suspicions of the oldsouls. Never fear: Debut novelist Meadows gives musical prodigy Ana a mentor that is the society's most noted musician, the preternaturally wise, good and—oh yes, sexy—Sam. The basic concept is a fascinating one, but it gets muddled in delivery. Worldbuilding is particularly weak: Range is populated by both creatures of European mythology and regular North American animals, but the former seem to have been thrown in largely to be set dressing and a convenient threat. Perhaps all will be explained in subsequent volumes, to which this effectively serves as a 374-page prologue. Moreover, Ana's characterization is notably uneven (the emotional scars from her upbringing emerge when the plot needs them), and 21st-century colloquialisms sound sour notes against the trying-to-be-otherworldly setting.
Overall, a promising book that would have benefited from another draft or two . (Fantasy/romance. 13 & up)Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-06-206075-4
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 16, 2012
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
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.
The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.
Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798987380406
Page Count: 538
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
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