Superior entry in the genre of Christian horror and teenage angst.
A 16-year-old confronts evil in a North Carolina town.
Chris Buckley and his mother, Tara, leave Chicago and his born-again dad, who found God but abandoned the family. They return to Tara’s hometown of Solitary, N.C., and move into an isolated cabin in the woods, the former residence of Tara’s brother, Robert, who’s now missing. After defending fellow student Newt at Harrington County High, Chris tops the hit list of violent bully Gus Staunch, whose father owns half the town. Chris is repeatedly warned to stay off the radar and lie low—not an easy task, since things are seriously off-kilter in Solitary. An eerie man and his dog guard the town, which, oddly enough, is deserted at midday on Saturdays. Crazy Aunt Alice, with her live-in crow and mannequin “friend,” is less than hospitable to Tara and Chris. Then there’s creepy Pastor Marsh, whose sermons are on the dark side. Chris is also forced to look after his tippling mother, who’d rather go unconscious than face life. Chris enjoys his friendship with a trio of girls—kind Rachel, goth Poe and lovely Jocelyn, who catches Chris’ eye. As Chris falls for Jocelyn, he’s torn between staying out of harm’s way and finding the truth about Uncle Robert and other residents who’ve disappeared. In the first of four books in the Solitary Tales series, Thrasher deftly captures the essence of high school: “Nameless, faceless ghouls strolling by listening to iPods with blank stares.” Chris’ mounting terror of the unknown effectively intertwines with his panic at being the new kid at school. In addition to typical teen traumas of bad cafeteria food, locker mishaps and relationship anxieties, he’s caught in a spiritual struggle of dynamic proportions. Although he doesn’t believe in God, the malice surrounding him may eventually require help from on high. Chris and Jocelyn’s on-again, off-again relationship is intensified by the menace they both face. An occasional comic scene breaks the tension, as when Chris and Tara reflect on just how “dysfunctional” Aunt Alice is. Due to financial constraints, Chris doesn’t have a cellphone or car; he commutes primarily by bike. For much of the book, he has no Internet access, either, and hence no Facebook, which enhances the claustrophobia. Though pegged as suitable for teens and tweens, this one’s no more “young adult” than The Hunger Games, the Harry Potter books or the Twilight series. But instead of hype and hoopla, Thrasher generates authentic suspense and the feeling that something wicked this way comes.
Superior entry in the genre of Christian horror and teenage angst.Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2010
ISBN: 1434764214
Page Count: 400
Publisher: David C. Cook
Review Posted Online: Sept. 24, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A dizzying, intimate romance.
Rowan teams up with her academic nemesis to win a citywide scavenger hunt.
Rowan Roth and Neil McNair have been rivals in a never-ending game of one-upmanship since freshman year. Now, on the last day of senior year, Rowan hopes to best Neil once and for all as valedictorian, then win Howl, a scavenger hunt with a $5,000 cash prize. She also hopes to sneak away to her favorite romance author’s book signing; no one’s ever respected her passion for the genre, not even her children’s book author/illustrator parents. But Rowan’s named salutatorian, and vengeful classmates plot to end her and Neil’s reign. At first their partnership is purely strategic, but as the pair traverse the city, they begin to open up. Rowan learns that Neil is Jewish too and can relate to both significant cultural touchstones and experiences of casual anti-Semitism. As much as Rowan tries to deny it, real feelings begin to bloom. Set against a lovingly evoked Seattle backdrop, Rowan and Neil’s relationship develops in an absorbing slow burn, with clever banter and the delicious tension of first love. Issues of class, anti-Semitism, and sex are discussed frankly. Readers will emerge just as obsessed with this love story as Rowan is with her beloved romance novels. Rowan’s mother is Russian Jewish and Mexican, and her father is American Jewish and presumably White; most other characters are White.
A dizzying, intimate romance. (author’s note) (Romance. 13-18)Pub Date: July 28, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5344-4024-1
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: April 7, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2020
A period Christian romance that is lean on historical atmosphere.
A plot to expose a greedy nobleman in 1386 England leads two justice seekers to fall in love.
When Violet, named for her unusually colored eyes, learns that her grandmother has become a victim of Baron Dunham’s unlawful so-called protection tax, she is determined to alert King Richard to the injustice but is intercepted by the baron’s men. After she is taken before the baron, Violet, who was adopted as a young child, learns a tragic and shocking secret about her own history. The baron, meanwhile, is scheming to increase his own power and has plans that threaten Violet. But Violet keeps crossing paths with Sir Merek of Dericott, a knight who has recently joined the baron’s household at the king’s request. Sir Merek proves trustworthy, and he and Violet join forces to try to find the secret account book that will prove to the king what the baron has been doing to exploit his subjects. Over time, Violet and Sir Merek fall in love. Though Violet is high-spirited, and she and Sir Merek are well developed, most of the cast is one-dimensional, and the medieval setting feels spare and underdeveloped. There are some references to previous novels in the series, but this entry, in which Christianity is woven throughout, succeeds as a stand-alone. All characters are cued White.
A period Christian romance that is lean on historical atmosphere. (Historical romance. 12-18)Pub Date: Aug. 15, 2023
ISBN: 9780840708199
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2023
© 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.
