The third in Cabot’s kinda-sorta reimagining of the Persephone myth takes the trilogy to an appropriately Sturm-und-Drang conclusion.
As the story opens, 17-year-old Pierce has embraced both immortal boyfriend John, lord of the Underworld, and an eternity by his side. All is not well in the land of the dead, though, as the Fates who watch over the Underworld have apparently abandoned it, leaving it vulnerable to the malevolent Furies. A gumming-up of the movement of recently deceased souls through the Underworld to their final destinations has resulted in a “pestilence” that threatens both the land of the dead and Pierce’s mortal home, Isla Huesos (an alternate Key West). And then John is killed….With a posse that includes her kickass friend, Kayla, and her recently killed-but-resurrected cousin, Alex, along with some of John’s Underworld cohorts and a few doughty, newly dead souls, Pierce ascends to the surface to try to set things right. Plotting is not this book’s strength, as the rules governing the Underworld and the web of vendettas that fuels Isla Huesos’ maladies feel more than a little arbitrary; moreover, the frequent descents into classic paranormal-romance angst tire rather than titillate. But Cabot’s characterizations are mostly sharp, and when she indulges her talent for snappy dialogue, the book wakes up. Though unlikely to win new fans to the trilogy, this closer offers its enthusiasts some moments to enjoy. (Paranormal romance. 14 & up)
Pub Date: July 2, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-545-28412-7
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Point/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 14, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2013
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
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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