A complex story sidelined by a confusingly executed paranormal element.
Four queer teenagers are stuck in an infinite time loop that taps into their collective worst moment.
The question of what really happened to Charlotte Vanderheyden at the Lilies Society’s Founder’s Night initiation lies at the heart of this convoluted mystery, which is told from the perspectives of four Archwell Academy seniors: Rory Archwell, Blythe Harris, Veró Martín, and Drew Simmons. A lockdown drill finds the four teenagers trapped together in a closet and caught in a time loop that forces them to relive the initiation over and over again, even though neither Drew nor Veró are Lilies. Further complicating matters, each one is holding on to secrets of their own. Rory and Blythe, legacy students and former lovers, played key roles at the initiation. Charlotte and Drew (who uses they/them pronouns) were roommates. Veró is an activist who creates radical disruption under the persona of Malcriada, and her most recent artwork portrays Chancellor Archwell (yes, Rory’s mother) as a TERF. The frostiness among the racially diverse group thaws as they band together and discover that they share a common—and disturbing—history. The more they reveal, the closer they get to discovering what really happened to Charlotte—and maybe even other initiates. While the story’s underlying premise importantly confronts generational trauma and repeating patterns, and the explorations of race, queerness, and exclusion are thoughtful, the novel struggles with the tenuous portrayal of time looping.
A complex story sidelined by a confusingly executed paranormal element. (Paranormal mystery. 13-18)Pub Date: April 30, 2024
ISBN: 9780063318199
Page Count: 336
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2024
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
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in.
Black is back with another dark tale of Faerie, this one set in Faerie and launching a new trilogy.
Jude—broken, rebuilt, fueled by anger and a sense of powerlessness—has never recovered from watching her adoptive Faerie father murder her parents. Human Jude (whose brown hair curls and whose skin color is never described) both hates and loves Madoc, whose murderous nature is true to his Faerie self and who in his way loves her. Brought up among the Gentry, Jude has never felt at ease, but after a decade, Faerie has become her home despite the constant peril. Black’s latest looks at nature and nurture and spins a tale of court intrigue, bloodshed, and a truly messed-up relationship that might be the saving of Jude and the titular prince, who, like Jude, has been shaped by the cruelties of others. Fierce and observant Jude is utterly unaware of the currents that swirl around her. She fights, plots, even murders enemies, but she must also navigate her relationship with her complex family (human, Faerie, and mixed). This is a heady blend of Faerie lore, high fantasy, and high school drama, dripping with description that brings the dangerous but tempting world of Faerie to life.
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in. (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-316-31027-7
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Sept. 25, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2017
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