A group of teens with unique powers confronts danger and mystery in this entertaining adventure.
Five teens with special abilities try to save their parents—and the world.
Newland’s debut YA SF novel opens with 17-year-old Natalie Morrigan alone in an underground cell, imprisoned by a mysterious organization named Nautilus. Just a week ago, she was living a normal teenage life near the Virginia coast, graduating from high school and planning to head off to college. Then the night she expects to spend celebrating with her parents—and the four other families with kids the same age that are their closest friends—ends in chaos. Buildings nearby are bombed to smithereens; her parents have vanished; and her childhood home is destroyed. Knowing only that she is in imminent danger, Natalie flees with her friends Tawney Davis, Leo Merrick, Owen Johnson, and Brant Smith in search of her estranged Uncle Christopher, the only person who might be able to tell them the truth. They learn from him that they possess special powers, and Nautilus will stop at nothing to gain control of those abilities for its own purposes. They must question everything and trust no one—perhaps not even Christopher. Feeling desperate to find her parents and hear the facts directly from them and navigating physical perils and turbulent emotions, Natalie needs to grow up fast. In this first installment of a trilogy, the five teens are resourceful, smart, and so close they could be siblings. With no leader, no adult guidance, and very little information, they don’t always agree on the best course of action but still manage to work effectively as a unit and support one another completely. The SF premise isn’t completely convincing but works well enough to propel the nonstop action. The story alternates between scenes with Natalie held captive and the events that led to her predicament. There is plenty of adventure and excitement, and the ever present threat of a Nautilus attack combined with the ongoing mystery of the missing parents gives the book the feel of a thriller. Natalie, her friends, and Christopher are appealing characters who show bravery, humor, resilience, and true friendship. The ending seems more of a pause than a conclusion, hinting at more action and intrigue to come in the sequel.
A group of teens with unique powers confronts danger and mystery in this entertaining adventure. (No aftermatter in review copy. Front matter - Dedication, poem "When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer" by Walt Whitman (unnumbered pages) (YA-SciFi-Thriller)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-73334-581-1
Page Count: 278
Publisher: Hiking Hedgehog Press, LLC
Review Posted Online: Jan. 28, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.
In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me, three characters tell their sides of the story.
Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind. (author’s note, content warning) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781728276229
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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