Esme may be witty, but when it comes to fulfilling her destiny, Buffy she is not.
A fashion-minded babysitter in small-town Kansas discovers her magical powers and the responsibility that comes with them.
Seventeen-year-old Esme Pearl can’t explain the strange things happening to her until the new girl, Cassandra Heaven, reveals to Esme that they both have powers. The girls bumble their way through beginning spellcasting until Brian, the school football coach, explains that they are Sitters: girls (typically babysitters) predestined to protect humanity from interdimensional monsters. Brian is their mentor, or Counsel. The characters themselves draw the obvious comparison to Buffy the Vampire Slayer (“So basically, we’re like Slayers, and you’re our Watcher”), but despite basic worldbuilding parallels, the novel misses the mark if it’s attempting to fill the cult classic’s large shoes. The tongue-in-cheek humor never manages to find a balance with the purportedly high-stakes plot. To debut novelist Williams’ credit, much of the humor lands; her unusual descriptions delight (Esme’s hands shake “like cold Chihuahuas,” while “nice” is “the chicken Caesar wrap of compliments”), as do Esme’s and her best friend Janis’ daily wardrobe inspirations. However, the explanation behind Esme’s powers comes late, and even as the conflict heightens, readers will struggle to buy in. Many secondary characters feel hollow, including Esme’s crush (Cassandra’s brother, Dion). Esme is presumably white, Cassandra identifies as Mexican, and Janis and Brian are black.
Esme may be witty, but when it comes to fulfilling her destiny, Buffy she is not. (Fantasy. 13-17)Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-525-70737-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: June 9, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2019
A thrilling quest through real and metaphorical mazes, obstacles, and trials.
Five sisters learn they have hidden powers that might help them save their mother from danger.
Mnemosyne is the Goddess of Memory, a Titan who was granted asylum on Mount Olympus by Zeus after the Titan war. But Mnemosyne, who has bronze skin and black hair, eventually fled Olympus, wiping the gods’ memories so she could start her own family in safety. She created five daughters: gifted storyteller and leader Calliope, inquisitive history buff Clio, volatile empath Melpomene, magical dancer Terpsichore, and gifted comedian Thalia. Mnemosyne successfully keeps their existence hidden from the gods until the girls stage a public birthday performance for her. As Mnemosyne hurriedly explains the danger the girls are in, she’s kidnapped by Pain and Panic, two minions of Hades, God of the Underworld. The sisters must now put aside their differences to use their unique strengths and their mother’s special journal to ask the very gods their mother fears for help. A nice exploration of lesser-known female figures from Greek mythology, this tale features a fine balance of self-actualization and connections among the central characters, each of whom has a distinct temperament and narrative. The dramatis personae and pronunciation key will also make it easier for readers to distinguish the different cast members.
A thrilling quest through real and metaphorical mazes, obstacles, and trials. (Fantasy. 13-17)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9781368098700
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Disney Press
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2024
Bound to be popular.
A suddenly trendy trope—conflict and romance between members of conquering and enslaved races—enlivened by fantasy elements loosely drawn from Arabic tradition (another trend!).
In an original, well-constructed fantasy world (barring some lazy naming), the Scholars have lived under Martial rule for 500 years, downtrodden and in many cases enslaved. Scholar Laia has spent a lifetime hiding her connection to the Resistance—her parents were its leaders—but when her grandparents are killed and her brother’s captured by Masks, the eerie, silver-faced elite soldiers of the Martial Empire, Laia must go undercover as a slave to the terrifying Commandant of Blackcliff Military Academy, where Martials are trained for battle. Meanwhile, Elias, the Commandant’s not-at-all-beloved son, wants to run away from Blackcliff, until he is named an Aspirant for the throne by the mysterious red-eyed Augurs. Predictably, action, intrigue, bloodshed and some pounding pulses follow; there’s betrayal and a potential love triangle or two as well. Sometimes-lackluster prose and a slight overreliance on certain kinds of sexual violence as a threat only slightly diminish the appeal created by familiar (but not predictable) characters and a truly engaging if not fully fleshed-out fantasy world.
Bound to be popular. (Fantasy. 13 & up)Pub Date: April 28, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-59514-803-2
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Jan. 9, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2015
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