An inspiring tale of climate justice featuring a strong and passionate young hero.
In Blossom’s middle-grade novel, prophetic dreams lead a teen Hawaiian girl to tackle climate change.
In her dreams, 13-year-old Mahina Moemoea can fly and speak to her deceased mother. Her tutu (grandmother) explains that all of the women in their family have unusual powers that stem from their deep connections to the earth (“The power of intuition is what brought my own tutu to this beautiful island in the first place”). They draw strength from their homestead on the island of Hawaii, a ranch that includes mysterious lava caves. Tutu commands Mahina to resist her power, claiming that it is dangerous and caused her mother’s death. When a hurricane ravages the island, Mahina’s dream life becomes more intense and inspires her to plan a fundraiser to rebuild her school. After that success, her strength only increases and she finds that she is able to fly in reality; she also teaches her best friend, Koa. The experience leads her to devise a strategy to save the Earth by helping powerful movers and shakers to experience flight. The narrative’s earnest style is reminiscent of classic children’s books from the mid-20th century. Like many of those older books, it features few child characters and instead focuses on developing meaningful relationships between the hero and adults, including her teacher Ms. Reynolds and her grandmother. Olina, Mahina’s beloved cat, supports her throughout the book, a rare animal character who is much more than an afterthought or a clunky metaphor. The bond between Mahina and Koa anchors the story—their friendship deepens into a very chaste romance. The tropical setting is evocative, but the prose is light on description; the narrative relies more heavily on solid dialogue and the atmospheric dream sequences. While the story begins with the existential despair of the climate crisis—and while Blossom may irk readers by reductively suggesting that the climate crisis can be solved by influencing a handful of CEOs—the tone remains optimistic as Mahina, just one young girl, changes the world.
An inspiring tale of climate justice featuring a strong and passionate young hero.Pub Date: Aug. 22, 2024
ISBN: 9780999615638
Page Count: 260
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Nov. 7, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A pleasing premise for book lovers.
A fantasy-loving bookworm makes a wonderful, terrible bargain.
When sixth grader Poppy Woodlock’s historic preservationist parents move the family to the Oregon coast to work on the titular stately home, Poppy’s sure she’ll find magic. Indeed, the exiled water nymph in the manor’s ruined swimming pool grants a wish, but: “Magic isn’t free. It cosssts.” The price? Poppy’s favorite book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In return she receives Sampson, a winged lion cub who is everything Poppy could have hoped for. But she soon learns that the nymph didn’t take just her own physical book—she erased Narnia from Poppy’s world. And it’s just the first loss: Soon, Poppy’s grandmother’s journal’s gone, then The Odyssey, and more. The loss is heartbreaking, but Sampson’s a wonderful companion, particularly as Poppy’s finding middle school a tough adjustment. Hartman’s premise is beguiling—plenty of readers will identify with Poppy, both as a fellow bibliophile and as a kid struggling to adapt. Poppy’s repeatedly expressed faith that unveiling Sampson will bring some sort of vindication wears thin, but that does not detract from the central drama. It’s a pity that the named real-world books Poppy reads are notably lacking in diversity; a story about the power of literature so limited in imagination lets both itself and readers down. Main characters are cued White; there is racial diversity in the supporting cast. Chapters open with atmospheric spot art. (This review has been updated to reflect the final illustrations.)
A pleasing premise for book lovers. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9780316448222
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
An absorbing fantasy centered on a resilient female protagonist facing growth, change, and self-empowerment.
In Florence’s middle-grade fantasy novel, a young girl’s heart is tested in the face of an evil, spreading Darkness.
Eleven-year-old Lydia, “freckle-cheeked and round-eyed, with hair the color of pine bark and fair skin,” is struggling with the knowledge that she has reached the age to apprentice as an herbalist. Lydia is reluctant to leave her beloved, magical Mulberry Glen and her cozy Housetree in the woods—she’ll miss Garder, the Glen’s respected philosopher; her fairy guardian Pit; her human friend Livy; and even the mischievous part-elf, part-imp, part-human twins Zale and Zamilla. But the twins go missing after hearing of a soul-sapping Darkness that has swallowed a forest and is creeping into minds and engulfing entire towns. They have secretly left to find a rare fruit that, it is said, will stop the Darkness if thrown into the heart of the mountain that rises out of the lethal forest. Lydia follows, determined to find the twins before they, too, fall victim to the Darkness. During her journey, accompanied by new friends, she gradually realizes that she herself has a dangerous role to play in the quest to stop the Darkness. In this well-crafted fantasy, Florence skillfully equates the physical manifestation of Darkness with the feelings of insecurity and powerlessness that Lydia first struggles with when thinking of leaving the Glen. Such negative thoughts grow more intrusive the closer she and her friends come to the Darkness—and to Lydia’s ultimate, powerfully rendered test of character, which leads to a satisfyingly realistic, not quite happily-ever-after ending. Highlights include a delightfully haunting, reality-shifting library and a deft sprinkling of Latin throughout the text; Pit’s pet name for Lydia is mea flosculus (“my little flower”). Fine-lined ink drawings introducing each chapter add a pleasing visual element to this well-grounded fairy tale.
An absorbing fantasy centered on a resilient female protagonist facing growth, change, and self-empowerment.Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9781956393095
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Waxwing Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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