A thoughtful fantasy novel for young adults that spotlights the problem of human trafficking in the United States.
In Staback and Kennedy’s YA fantasy novel, twin sisters navigate their intertwined destinies shaped by an ancestral connection to the ancient goddess Andarta.
The story opens on the Senmarian Fjords in 966 C.E., where the Viking leader Brennhir Torox prepares his army for battle. Kimbel Murphy, a leader of the Senmarian tribes, invokes the Norse goddess Andarta with the aid of his Druid priest, Cathbad. Kimbel, aided by Andarta, beheads Brennhir, and a mystical sword absorbs the goddess—the sword is then guarded by a dragon called Tyrell. The story shifts to present-day Illinois and focuses on twins Clara and Emilia Benning and their friend Gabriel Contreras; when 10-year-old Gabriel is swept up by Leandro Mammon’s human trafficking operation, he is forced to work on the Rosales-Guermo Strawberry Farm in California. While on a family trip to London, the twins discover that their ancestors were the followers of Andarta. The narrative follows the twins through high school and college; Clara pursues nursing while Emilia studies law and activism. Meanwhile, Gabriel endures horrors while working on the farm. Once the twins graduate, they move to Forest Hills, a suburb of Seraphim City in Southern California. The twins temporarily separate, Clara remaining in California while Emilia attends Hereford Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. While in Cambridge, Emilia meets Kara (secretly the Norse goddess of love and war), who sets her up with an internship with a judge. Kara accidentally calls Emilia by the name Andarta, which summons the goddess to possess Emilia’s body. Andarta scolds Kara for her inefficiency in awakening the twins to their destinies. After the twins graduate from their respective programs, Emilia sets out to try her first human trafficking case, which she wins. Later, she randomly encounters Gabriel at a produce stand; they undertake a mission to free the people imprisoned by the strawberry farm.
Staback and Kennedy excel in creating rich characters in Emilia and Clara, but the story’s pacing is inconsistent; the first half of the book follows the characters as they navigate high school and college, with only a few short scenes that reference Gabriel’s ongoing plight or any divine interactions with Andarta. At other times (as in the case of Clara and Gabriel’s eventual romance), the story moves too fast. Readers may also be confused by the worldbuilding: It is established that there is a council of gods from various pantheons—however, there’s an unclear distinction between these gods and the god of Abrahamic religions. This disconnect is jarring when Emilia says to Gabriel, “Gabriel is the name of one of God’s most important angels...Gabriel itself is one of the coolest names there is!” Even so, the story boasts a compelling premise and champions justice for victims of human trafficking (the book’s aftermatter includes a detailed breakdown of the issue along with a phone number that forwards callers to a relevant hotline).
A thoughtful fantasy novel for young adults that spotlights the problem of human trafficking in the United States.Pub Date: Nov. 29, 2024
ISBN: 9781958487099
Page Count: 472
Publisher: Page Turner Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 18, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.
In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me, three characters tell their sides of the story.
Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind. (author’s note, content warning) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781728276229
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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