A thoroughly absorbing plot makes this an exceptional paranormal sequel.
A teenager with supernatural abilities uncovers secrets and threats at a Scotland school in this second installment of a YA paranormal series.
Having discovered a secret society at The Murray School, Phoebe Douse may know too much. She tries fleeing Britain for her Texas home, but she finds herself the target of rogue members of the society, called S3A2. She manages to stay alive with assistance from her clairvoyance, a couple of schoolmates, and the Fadrix, a mysterious orb that communicates with her via helpful but somewhat cryptic advice. She and her friend Renaud Bertrand ultimately deem it safest to head back to the school. Things are quiet for a spell until a menace whom Phoebe faced before becomes a threat once again, notwithstanding his imprisonment. Meanwhile, a missing student returns with nary an explanation and, surprisingly, hinders the romantic feelings Phoebe may be harboring for Renaud. Phoebe already knows that her cherished grandmother Naan had a strong tie to S3A2. But the teen fears that an unexpected familial connection could put her or her friends in further danger. As this story starts right after the events of the first installment, the opening is exhilarating. Strangers are after Phoebe, who summons a coded message, leading to clues in a safe-deposit box. The book subsequently slows down back at The Murray School, but perils, like kidnappers on campus, are constant. Samuels’ concise prose establishes the titular hero as a resilient girl who, despite her remarkable powers, doesn’t rely solely on supernatural abilities. This leads to an effective cliffhanger, which should have readers hankering for the final volume in the trilogy. Crisp black-and-white illustrations by the author open each chapter, though some boast so much detail that it’s disappointing they don’t have their own full pages.
A thoroughly absorbing plot makes this an exceptional paranormal sequel. (dedication)Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 978-1-7322846-8-5
Page Count: 340
Publisher: Valued Educational Services, LLC
Review Posted Online: Dec. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter.
After a Nigerian British girl goes off to an exclusive boarding school that seems to prey on less-privileged students, she discovers there might be some truth behind an urban legend.
Ife Adebola joins the Urban Achievers scholarship program at pricey, high-pressure Nithercott School, arriving shortly after a student called Leon mysteriously disappeared. Gossip says he’s a victim of the glowing-eyed Changing Man who targets the lonely, leaving them changed. Ife doesn’t believe in the myth, but amid the stresses of Nithercott’s competitive, privileged, majority-white environment, where she is constantly reminded of her state school background, she does miss her friends and family. When Malika, a fellow Black scholarship student, disappears and then returns, acting strangely devoid of personality, Ife worries the Changing Man is real—and that she’s next. Ife joins forces with classmate Bijal and Benny, Leon’s younger brother, to uncover the truth about who the Changing Man is and what he wants. Culminating in a detailed, gory, and extended climactic battle, this verbose thriller tempts readers with a nefarious mystery involving racial and class-based violence but never quite lives up to its potential and peters out thematically by its explosive finale. However, this debut offers highly visually evocative and eerie descriptions of characters and events and will appeal to fans of creature horror, social commentary, and dark academia.
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9781250868138
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
A poignant and romantic coming-of-age tale.
The boy she believed was the fated love of her life dies; now a 17-year-old girl must find a new future—and a new version of herself.
After the death of her boyfriend, Beck, and her military family’s latest move, Amelia Graham tries for a fresh start. On her first day at her new school, she nearly hits fellow senior Paloma with her car but ultimately finds a new friend in her. After months of being depressed and alone, Lia realizes she’s living again. And then there’s the boy. Although she feels an immediate connection, Lia stays away from him, trying to honor her love for Beck. But Isaiah is there when Lia needs support, and she’s increasingly drawn to him. As the past recedes, Lia realizes that who she was with Beck wasn’t all she’ll ever be. Told through Lia’s first-person point of view and moving between past and present, this story covers heartbreak, healing, and learning to live when the person you lived for is gone. Upperman’s writing is engaging, and although the emotions are heavy, an undercurrent of hope snakes through the narrative, growing brighter as Lia comes back to life and begins to see that the future holds multiple possibilities. Central characters present white; Paloma is cued Latine.
A poignant and romantic coming-of-age tale. (A Geographical History of Amelia Graham) (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9781464217784
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2024
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