A page-turning mixture of magic, suspense, and queer romance that keeps readers enthralled. (Speculative fiction. 14-18)
Sixteen-year-old Ruby Chernyavsky must decide whether to use her ancestors’ magical past to lengthen her uncertain future.
Ruby is proud to come from a long line of magical women. But as far as she can tell, the only power her family has left is the ability to see their Time: a flash of what they will be doing just before they die. Since age 13, Ruby has known that her life will be short, which, coupled with her mother’s disappearance, plunged her into depression. Then Ruby’s Great-Aunt Polina passes away long after her Time predicted, offering hope that her family’s powers may allow her to extend her life. Ruby is determined to do whatever her great-aunt did—until she realizes that lengthening her own life comes at a price. Podos (Like Water, 2017, etc.) uses the simple premise of foreseeing one’s own death to weave a fast-paced, nuanced study of good and evil. The book’s main characters are white, two protagonists are queer, and one is trans. Ruby’s character development is fascinating, although certain aspects of her personality—such as her obsession with science and her tendency to drink heavily—flicker in and out rather than driving the plot. Although the ending provides a satisfying conclusion to Ruby’s story, it also leaves many strands unresolved which readers will anticipate exploring in the sequel.
A page-turning mixture of magic, suspense, and queer romance that keeps readers enthralled. (Speculative fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 28, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-06-269902-2
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2019
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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