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SCALED

A fast-paced and diverting speculative tale.

Awards & Accolades

Our Verdict

  • Our Verdict
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In Ashmore’s debut YA SF series starter, teenagers contract a mysterious rash after a strange meteor falls to Earth.

A comet strikes a dying planet, sending a cargo hold full of alien genetic material toward Earth. Midwestern teen Zack is with his 7-year-old sister, Zoe, when he sees a ball of fire heading straight for their family’s property. The object sets their shed aflame, and Zack successfully puts out the fire, but when he breathes in the meteorite’s fumes, his mind explodes with colors. A few days later, his classmates Hilde and Silas are returning from a high school field trip when their teacher decides to let his students see the meteorite before scientists take it away. Silas finds a small piece of the object, some distance away, and when Hilde holds it, she hears “oddly captivating” music. Teenagers in towns near the crash site soon contract odd, scaly rashes, and before long, students are required to wear masks to try to stop the spread—which doesn’t help. Soon, anyone with a rash is shipped to quarantine centers. The Centers for Disease Control know that the rash is caused by a virus from the meteorite and that it only affects teens—but they don’t know how it spreads. Zack, Hilde, and Silas find themselves quarantined together, and they must overcome their differences to face the danger before them. Over the course of this book, Ashmore presents an engaging tale about coming to terms with otherness—even if that otherness involves scales. What stands out the most about this novel, however, is its brisk style. The author efficiently introduces characters without dwelling on their backstories, and the novel shifts between points of view in a way that’s always easy to follow. The pacing is also consistently smooth throughout the story. Young readers who are currently experiencing the societal changes of the Covid-19 pandemic will also identify strongly with how people react toward the alien virus. Overall, Ashmore delivers an entertaining read.

A fast-paced and diverting speculative tale.

Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2020

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 359

Publisher: Self

Review Posted Online: Sept. 28, 2020

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WINGS OF STARLIGHT

A magical story with a classic Disney feel exploring love, friendship, and leading amid hardship.

Shortly before the new queen’s coronation, a monster wreaks havoc, forcing a young fairy princess to intervene at her own risk.

In Pixie Hollow, the Never Fairies of Spring, Summer, and Autumn work to create seasons for the humans on the Mainland, while the fairies of Winter remain apart in the Winter Woods. Clarion, a governing-talent fairy who’s soon to take over as queen of Pixie Hollow, often looks wonderingly at the Winter Woods. But crossing the border is against the rules set forth by her mentor, Queen Elvina. When a monster from Winter breaks free and enters Spring, Clarion bristles at Elvina’s dismissal. Determined to be involved, she secretly travels to Winter, meets with Milori, the Warden of the Winter Woods, and learns that the land is nothing like what she’s heard, making her wonder what else the queen has been untruthful about. Together Milori and Clarion work to discover the secrets of Pixie Hollow, which may save them—or lead to death. Set in a magical place of flowers and pixie dust, this story considers the control we have over the roles we’re assigned. Clarion is a beautifully complex character—strong yet insecure, lovable due to her willingness to prioritize relationships over rules. Themes of fear, forbidden love, and good vs. evil are present in this fast-paced, engaging tale. Main characters are cued white.

A magical story with a classic Disney feel exploring love, friendship, and leading amid hardship. (Fantasy. 12-18)

Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2025

ISBN: 9781368098458

Page Count: 400

Publisher: Disney Press

Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2024

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POWERLESS

From the Powerless Trilogy series , Vol. 1

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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