A fun but insubstantial genre mashup.
Amateur archaeologists race to claim an allegedly magical Roman relic.
Margot Rhodes isn’t exactly famous for her follow-through; she’s quit activities from watercolor painting to taekwondo. So it’s no surprise that her snooty boarding school classmates are more than a little skeptical when she impulsively applies for and is accepted into a six-week archaeology summer class in southern Italy. Armed with a special volume from her school library—the personal journal of archaeology wunderkind Van Keane, who tragically died in a 1932 dig site collapse in Pompeii—Margot is determined to find the missing pieces of the Vase of Venus Aurelia that Van was searching for. But when she stumbles upon a marble statue that eerily resembles the boy whose words have captured her heart, she gets more than she bargained for. Her discovery awakens the long-frozen Van, who’s decidedly less poetic and a great deal surlier than his journal let on. The two become unlikely partners in the hunt for the vase and must prove themselves worthy of the treasure by completing tasks that test their wits and courage before their competitors—and the curse that turned Van to marble to begin with—beat them to it. Unfortunately, Moore neglects the setting’s potential, and the story's minimal attention to detail undermines its rich historical aspects. Plot holes and unconvincing villains also weaken the story, but Margot and Van’s banter and chemistry are engaging. Main characters are cued white.
A fun but insubstantial genre mashup. (Romantic adventure. 12-18)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2024
ISBN: 9780063284685
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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
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
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