by Lindsay Flanagan ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 29, 2023
A tale with deft plot turns, a relatable young protagonist, and well-drawn secondary fantasy characters.
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In Flanagan’s YA series starter, a young teen enters a fantastical realm and discovers the mystery behind her own existence.
All 14-year-old AnnaGrey England wants is to get through a school day without being bullied for being different. It isn’t because of her red hair and “pale-as-dawn” skin—it’s her glow-in-the-dark green eyes with black pupils shaped like half-moons. Her mother’s explanation that it’s a genetic condition rings false, and her father, who lives elsewhere, tells AnnaGrey what seem like fairy tales. (At least her parents’ unusually long canine teeth skipped a generation, she thinks.) In this thoroughly enjoyable, well-crafted, first-person fantasy, AnnaGrey’s journey toward self-discovery and self-acceptance begins after her nemesis, a boy named Cross Silverstone, dubs her “Freakenstein.” After she retreats into the forbidden Wildwood, she discovers Iris—a gentle, horselike creature with a rainbow mane, golden hooves, impressive antlers, and eyes like stars—and a secret gate to a realm of beings called aeobanachs who can shift between human and animal form. AnnaGrey soon finds herself in the company of a furred, feathered, and antlered rebel faction seeking to unseat the usurper on the realm’s Constellation throne. Can this have anything to do with her own strange eyes, her secretive parents, and the “constellation” of freckles on her arms? Just when it seems obvious where the narrative is going, the author defies expectations by taking readers in a different direction. Flanagan enriches the mix with additional colorful characters and a plot that explains the significance of antlers, feathers, and fairy tales and features betrayals, lost loves, and noble sacrifices. (The selfless actions of two characters are genuinely moving, as is a surprising act of faith taken by AnnaGrey’s only school friend.) AnnaGrey’s internal struggle with new truths feels authentic, as does her difficulty in finding confidence when “I can’t even stand up to my own parents or the mean boy at school.” The welcome open ending sends a clear signal that AnnaGrey’s saga will continue.
A tale with deft plot turns, a relatable young protagonist, and well-drawn secondary fantasy characters.Pub Date: Aug. 29, 2023
ISBN: 9781633738492
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Young Dragons
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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by Lauren Roberts ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 7, 2023
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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by Stephanie Garber ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 31, 2017
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations.
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New York Times Bestseller
Magic, mystery, and love intertwine and invite in this newest take on the “enchanted circus” trope.
Sisters raised by their abusive father, a governor of a colonial backwater in a world vaguely reminiscent of the late 18th century, Scarlett and Donatella each long for something more. Scarlett, olive-skinned, dark of hair and attitude, longs for Caraval, the fabled, magical circus helmed by the possibly evil Master Legend Santos, while blonde, sunny Tella finds comfort in drink and the embraces of various men. A slightly awkward start, with inconsistencies of attitude and setting, rapidly smooths out when they, along with handsome “golden-brown” sailor Julian, flee to Caraval on the eve of Scarlett’s arranged marriage. Tella disappears, and Scarlett must navigate a nighttime world of magic to find her. Caraval delights the senses: beautiful and scary, described in luscious prose, this is a show readers will wish they could enter. Dresses can be purchased for secrets or days of life; clocks can become doors; bridges move: this is an inventive and original circus, laced with an edge of horror. A double love story, one sensual romance and the other sisterly loyalty, anchors the plot, but the real star here is Caraval and its secrets.
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations. (Fantasy. 14 & up)Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-250-09525-1
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2016
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