Cat is the more exhilarating of the sibling protagonists, her prowess and ingenuity helping make the entire novel a worthy...
In Reynolds’ thriller, a woman learns that her half sister, killed in an explosion, was not only suspected by the FBI of being a terrorist, but may have worked as a spy as well.
Tech-business owner Lindsey Carlisle is distraught when feds stop by her house and tell her that her half sister Cat and Cat’s husband, Tom, died in a home fire/explosion. But it gets worse: the FBI was monitoring Cat, under suspicion of funding terrorists. Lindsey isn’t quite sure what Cat did for a living—“I’m not at liberty to say” was her sister’s refrain—but she knows that Cat isn’t guilty of terrorism. Cat, however, was most definitely a covert agent under the employ of any number of agencies; even her best friend and former U.S. ambassador, Paul Marshfield, can’t specify which one. The story takes readers back in time, when Cat, surmising that she was being made a patsy (someone set up offshore accounts in her name), initiated a plan to find out who was trying to take her down; she started leaving clues for Lindsey, too. Reynolds’ novel begins as a mystery, as Lindsey examines her sister’s life and, with a backup of Cat’s hard drive (company employee Jason had troubleshot her laptop), access to hidden files. Lindsey is more spectator than participant, often not in any real danger—though an attempted mugging, when she’s stashing pertinent flash drives in her purse, is unsettling. Many of the details of what Cat was doing are revealed in the more exciting second half, when perspective shifts to the sister. Cat is a female 007—even carrying Bond’s gun, a Walther PPK—and, like the literary Bond, adept at stealthily keeping an eye on people. Her mission (of sorts) may have an international origin, with possible ties to her helping a couple of doctors in Tehran over 30 years ago. The two sisters’ stories come together for a sterling conclusion, with just enough unanswered questions for a potential sequel. Reynolds’ writing is accessible, though she has a tendency to overexplain, especially basic computer terms, like wireless and encryption key, which don’t need much clarification.
Cat is the more exhilarating of the sibling protagonists, her prowess and ingenuity helping make the entire novel a worthy read.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Dog Ear Publisher
Review Posted Online: Jan. 30, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.
A fifth-grade New Orleans girl discovers a mysterious chrysalis containing an unexpected creature in this middle-grade novel.
Jacquelyn Marie Johnson, called Jackie, is a 10-year-old African-American girl, the second oldest and the only girl of six siblings. She’s responsible, smart, and enjoys being in charge; she likes “paper dolls and long division and imagining things she had never seen.” Normally, Jackie has no trouble obeying her strict but loving parents. But when her potted snapdragon acquires a peculiar egg or maybe a chrysalis (she dubs it a chrysalegg), Jackie’s strong desire to protect it runs up against her mother’s rule against plants in the house. Jackie doesn’t exactly mean to lie, but she tells her mother she needs to keep the snapdragon in her room for a science project and gets permission. Jackie draws the chrysalegg daily, waiting for something to happen as it gets larger. When the amazing creature inside breaks free, Jackie is more determined than ever to protect it, but this leads her further into secrets and lies. The results when her parents find out are painful, and resolving the problem will take courage, honesty, and trust. Dumas (Jaden Toussaint, the Greatest: Episode 5, 2017, etc.) presents a very likable character in Jackie. At 10, she’s young enough to enjoy playing with paper dolls but has a maturity that even older kids can lack. She’s resourceful, as when she wants to measure a red spot on the chrysalegg; lacking calipers, she fashions one from her hairpin. Jackie’s inward struggle about what to obey—her dearest wishes or the parents she loves—is one many readers will understand. The book complicates this question by making Jackie’s parents, especially her mother, strict (as one might expect to keep order in a large family) but undeniably loving and protective as well—it’s not just a question of outwitting clueless adults. Jackie’s feelings about the creature (tender and responsible but also more than a little obsessive) are similarly shaded rather than black-and-white. The ending suggests that an intriguing sequel is to come.
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943169-32-0
Page Count: 212
Publisher: Plum Street Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.
In the ninth book in the Bluford young-adult series, a young Latino man walks away from violence—but at great personal cost.
In a large Southern California city, 16-year-old Martin Luna hangs out on the fringes of gang life. He’s disaffected, fatherless and increasingly drawn into the orbit of the older, rougher Frankie. When a stray bullet kills Martin’s adored 8-year-old brother, Huero, Martin seems to be heading into a life of crime. But Martin’s mother, determined not to lose another son, moves him to another neighborhood—the fictional town of Bluford, where he attends the racially diverse Bluford High. At his new school, the still-grieving Martin quickly makes enemies and gets into trouble. But he also makes friends with a kind English teacher and catches the eye of Vicky, a smart, pretty and outgoing Bluford student. Martin’s first-person narration supplies much of the book’s power. His dialogue is plain, but realistic and believable, and the authors wisely avoid the temptation to lard his speech with dated and potentially embarrassing slang. The author draws a vivid and affecting picture of Martin’s pain and confusion, bringing a tight-lipped teenager to life. In fact, Martin’s character is so well drawn that when he realizes the truth about his friend Frankie, readers won’t feel as if they are watching an after-school special, but as though they are observing the natural progression of Martin’s personal growth. This short novel appears to be aimed at urban teens who don’t often see their neighborhoods portrayed in young-adult fiction, but its sophisticated characters and affecting story will likely have much wider appeal.
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2004
ISBN: 978-1591940173
Page Count: 152
Publisher: Townsend Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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