A solid follow-up to Exile that will leave readers clamoring for the final installment. (Fiction. 14-17)
Summer and the band she manages, Dangerheart, are still searching for the lost songs of Eli White in this sequel to Exile (2014).
The world now knows that Dangerheart’s lead singer Caleb (also Summer’s boyfriend) is the son of the late, talented but troubled rocker Eli White. Prior to his death, Eli hid three songs for Caleb to find one day, and so far the group has found one. Though the band is in-sync musically, escalating personal tensions threaten to rip them apart, as individual members struggle with family problems, alcohol abuse, relationship drama and mounting resentment toward one another. The pressure increases when record-deal options begin to appear. Summer feels pulled apart as well, wanting to continue managing the band after high school but also beginning to think that pursuing college as her parents want might not be such a bad idea. When new information arises about the lost songs, the bandmates find themselves in a race to uncover the others before the record executives at Candy Shell steal them. This mission takes Dangerheart on a cross-country tour and an adventure that might just turn out to be a wild ghost chase. Emerson’s talents for creating cool characters, writing effortless dialogue and maintaining a quick pace continue to shine.
A solid follow-up to Exile that will leave readers clamoring for the final installment. (Fiction. 14-17)Pub Date: April 28, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-06-213398-4
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2015
Full of drama, emotional turmoil, and high stakes.
What happens to the world after the dust from a revolution has settled?
Friends Annie and Lee were children from very different circles when Atreus killed Lee’s father, dragonlord Leon Stormscourge, ending the uprising on the bloodiest day in Callipolis’ history. For too long the dragonriders held all the power while their people starved and lived in fear. Nine years later, a new generation of dragonriders is emerging, children selected and trained on merit, not bloodlines. Their dragons are finally mature enough for them to compete for Firstrider, a position of power that can give Lee back a small part of what his family lost. However, not only is Lee competing against Annie, but rumors are circulating that some of the royal family have survived and have dragons of their own. Everyone will have to make a choice: Restore the old regime, support the First Protector and the new caste system he created, or look for a new way, no matter what the cost. From the beginning, this book pulls readers in with political intrigue and action. What keeps them invested, however, are the complex relationships between many cast members. Choices are complex, and the consequences for all could be deadly. The world is well fleshed out and believable. Annie and Lee are light skinned; secondary characters are diverse, and race is a nonissue in this world.
Full of drama, emotional turmoil, and high stakes. (author’s note) (Fantasy.14-17)Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-525-51821-1
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: July 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2019
Several yards short of a touchdown.
A transgender boy starting over at a new school falls hard for a popular cheerleader with a reputation to protect in this debut.
On the first day of senior year, transgender boy Pony locks eyes with cisgender cheerleader Georgia. They both have pasts they want to leave behind. No one at Hillcrest High knows that Pony is transgender, and he intends to keep it that way. Georgia’s last boyfriend shook her trust in boys, and now she’s determined to forget him. As mutual attraction draws them together, Pony and Georgia must decide what they are willing to risk for a relationship. Pony’s best friend, Max, who is also transgender, disapproves of Pony’s choice to live stealth; this disagreement leads to serious conflict in their relationship. Meanwhile, Georgia and Pony behave as if Pony’s trans identity was a secret he was lying to her about rather than private information for him to share of his own volition. The characters only arrive at a hopeful resolution after Pony pays high physical and emotional prices. McSmith places repeated emphasis on the born-in-the-wrong-body narrative when the characters discuss trans identities. Whiteness is situated as the norm, and all main characters are white.
Several yards short of a touchdown. (Fiction. 14-17)Pub Date: May 26, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-06-294317-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
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