Strong characters remain the focus in this confident, imaginative fantasy.
A teenager enters a world of demon hunts and malicious Greek gods in this YA fantasy debut.
High school senior Alice Daniels has just moved from Colorado to Phoenix. She’s welcomed to the neighborhood by David Martin, a handsome but oddly unsettling Remington High student. He invites Alice to a party to mark the end of summer, which her mother insists that she attend. At the party, Alice learns that David is a true creep and capable of foul pranks—such as throwing fish guts on new students. Later that night, Alice finds David’s Porsche and covers it in eggs. She also sees through his home’s windows that several girls have him tied up, and black tendrils twist out from his eyes. Alice is soon confronted by a “beautiful stranger” with “pale blue eyes” whom she would “lie down and die for.” This is Colin Tinsley, leader of a group of teens who hunt demons. His partners are Olivia Diaz, Sharon Roxland, and Hadley Caldwell. These “Wayward Sisters” use a Realm of mirrors to track humans possessed by demons across the globe. Their patron deity is the Greek Philautia, who gives pieces of her soul to mortals, empowering them. When Alice learns that she’s the final portion of Philautia’s soul, she becomes entangled in a centuries-old power game that her heart may not survive. Borja’s series opener radiates the youthful, sisterly glow of classic TV shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Charmed. Everyone readers meet, from Alice’s dad, Gavin, to her aunt Molly, helps provide excellent twists that deepen the hero’s turmoil. The Realm is fabulously portrayed as a topsy-turvy wonderland of mirrors, as in the line “Every single one was displaying part of a vast blue sky, complete with fluffy white clouds and even...birds traversing from one mirror to the next.” The romance is superb and highlights the author’s flair for dialogue. Colin says, “You knock the wind out of me,” and Alice replies, “I guess I’ve found my calling.” Skillful reversals keep the narrative crackling, and the final scene hints at an appealing sequel.
Strong characters remain the focus in this confident, imaginative fantasy.Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-68463-173-5
Page Count: 368
Publisher: SparkPress
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A magical story with a classic Disney feel exploring love, friendship, and leading amid hardship.
Shortly before the new queen’s coronation, a monster wreaks havoc, forcing a young fairy princess to intervene at her own risk.
In Pixie Hollow, the Never Fairies of Spring, Summer, and Autumn work to create seasons for the humans on the Mainland, while the fairies of Winter remain apart in the Winter Woods. Clarion, a governing-talent fairy who’s soon to take over as queen of Pixie Hollow, often looks wonderingly at the Winter Woods. But crossing the border is against the rules set forth by her mentor, Queen Elvina. When a monster from Winter breaks free and enters Spring, Clarion bristles at Elvina’s dismissal. Determined to be involved, she secretly travels to Winter, meets with Milori, the Warden of the Winter Woods, and learns that the land is nothing like what she’s heard, making her wonder what else the queen has been untruthful about. Together Milori and Clarion work to discover the secrets of Pixie Hollow, which may save them—or lead to death. Set in a magical place of flowers and pixie dust, this story considers the control we have over the roles we’re assigned. Clarion is a beautifully complex character—strong yet insecure, lovable due to her willingness to prioritize relationships over rules. Themes of fear, forbidden love, and good vs. evil are present in this fast-paced, engaging tale. Main characters are cued white.
A magical story with a classic Disney feel exploring love, friendship, and leading amid hardship. (Fantasy. 12-18)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9781368098458
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Disney Press
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2024
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
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