Flashes of quicksilver humor and a tentative Happy-For-Now don't quite overcome the ominous reminder that, when treating...
Demons aren't the worst evil stalking a gritty alternative England in the conclusion to an outstanding urban-fantasy trilogy.
Dancer Cynthia "Sin" Davies is a true daughter of the Goblin Market, the motley alliance of folk on the magical fringe. When the Ryves brothers—charming, manipulative Alan and vicious, inscrutable Nick—instigate open warfare with a Circle of murderous magicians, Sin finds herself competing for Market leadership. Sin's complicated background and her current dilemma provide almost too many plot conflicts, as she juggles loyalties to her families, her community, her friends and herself. Unfortunately, half the story is weighed down by romantic dithering before it finally explodes into a relentless rollercoaster of magical intrigue, deception, betrayal, counter-betrayal, violence, tragedy, heartbreak and sacrifice. Against impossible odds, the (more-or-less) heroes manage to pull off an ambiguously upbeat ending. But Sin remains a strangely shallow protagonist, ever the consummate performer and obsessed with appearances. She dances chameleonlike through all the mayhem, observing and reacting, rather than instigating and resolving, as too many pivotal events occur off-page. This odd detachment diminishes the fiercely intimate exploration of family love that gave the first two books their emotional power.
Flashes of quicksilver humor and a tentative Happy-For-Now don't quite overcome the ominous reminder that, when treating with demons, they "always take more than you can afford to pay." (Urban fantasy. 14 & up)Pub Date: June 14, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4169-6383-7
Page Count: 400
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: April 18, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2011
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This grittily provocative debut explores the horrors of self-harm and the healing power of artistic expression.
After surviving a suicide attempt, a fragile teen isn't sure she can endure without cutting herself.
Seventeen-year-old Charlie Davis, a white girl living on the margins, thinks she has little reason to live: her father drowned himself; her bereft and abusive mother kicked her out; her best friend, Ellis, is nearly brain dead after cutting too deeply; and she's gone through unspeakable experiences living on the street. After spending time in treatment with other young women like her—who cut, burn, poke, and otherwise hurt themselves—Charlie is released and takes a bus from the Twin Cities to Tucson to be closer to Mikey, a boy she "like-likes" but who had pined for Ellis instead. But things don't go as planned in the Arizona desert, because sweet Mikey just wants to be friends. Feeling rejected, Charlie, an artist, is drawn into a destructive new relationship with her sexy older co-worker, a "semifamous" local musician who's obviously a junkie alcoholic. Through intense, diarylike chapters chronicling Charlie's journey, the author captures the brutal and heartbreaking way "girls who write their pain on their bodies" scar and mar themselves, either succumbing or surviving. Like most issue books, this is not an easy read, but it's poignant and transcendent as Charlie breaks more and more before piecing herself back together.
This grittily provocative debut explores the horrors of self-harm and the healing power of artistic expression. (author’s note) (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-101-93471-5
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2016
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
