This twisty, fast-paced sequel will leave readers hungering for more.
Brynn’s life as a young con intensifies in this Norse mythology–themed sequel to The Deceivers (2018).
After successfully surviving her first big mission, senior Brynn Hilder begins to relax at secretive Vale Hall, giving in to her feelings for swoony classmate Caleb Matsuki and enjoying her new friendships with fellow trained con artists. When controlling school founder Dr. Odin announces that her former mark, the corrupt senator’s troubled son Grayson Sterling, is moving into Vale Hall and is again her primary assignment, Brynn’s short-lived sense of peace begins to crumble. Simmons keeps the pace taut and the romantic tension high, but readers may quibble at how often Brynn second-guesses what’s truth and what’s deception in every comment, gesture, or action—even a kiss. As her doubts mount, Brynn holds on to one constant: She cannot allow her single mother (or herself) to go back to a life of poverty (or, in her mom's case, a controlling relationship). Despite posing more questions than it answers, this installment delves deeper into the compelling main characters and sets the stage for what’s likely to be a chaotic, life-or-death next volume. Most characters are white, but there’s scattered inclusion in the story: Brynn is Colombian and white American, Caleb is Japanese American, and there is some racial and sexual orientation diversity in minor characters.
This twisty, fast-paced sequel will leave readers hungering for more. (Thriller. 13-18)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-17583-0
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Tor Teen
Review Posted Online: Nov. 6, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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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