A page-turning fantasy with a daring protagonist, thrilling mysteries, and romance.
In this debut YA epic fantasy from Filipina Canadian author Barbosa, a cursed girl must rescue her mother while competing to become the ruler of Tigang.
Seventeen-year-old Narra Jal has been searching for her mother, Shora Jal, since she went missing eight months ago. One month ago, Narra and her sister, Kuran, received word that Shora had been arrested. As the book opens, Narra returns to her birthplace, Bato-Ko—the capital city of Tigang—hoping to find a record of Shora’s arrest. Narra is successful, but Manong Alen, the Archivist who points her to Shora’s arrest record, becomes suspicious of her motives and follows her out of the city. Narra, who hides nearby, sees a magic-wielding Tigangi woman in royal garb intercept the clearly intimidated Archivist. Manong Alen calls the woman Arisa moments before she murders him. We learn that Arisa is the Astar, “a ceremonial position in the government,” though Narra isn’t yet aware of Arisa’s position or the role she will play in her future. Arisa calls a Guardian to move the body, and Narra is struck by intense déjà vu: She somehow knows the Guardian, who is named Teloh. The author depicts an intriguing romance between Narra and Teloh as Narra attempts to untangle her fragments of memory surrounding him. Narra devises a risky plan to rescue Shora: Enter the Sundo, a deadly competition in the glass fortress where, “once a decade, people from all over our country gather to select a new ruler,” learn her mother’s exact location within the fortress, and free her. Barbosa’s characters are vivid on the page. Narra, for example, is guarded but still compassionate. The author also excels at building suspense: “In a little over two weeks, the country of Tigang will crown its new ruler. This means in three days’ time, people will start dying.” The mysteries of Narra’s curse, Shora’s fate, and the hauntingly familiar Teloh will keep readers invested even before the Sundo begins.
A page-turning fantasy with a daring protagonist, thrilling mysteries, and romance.Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 9781649373366
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
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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