An impressive recounting of an ancient South Asian legend.
Sheth (Prince Rama Son of the Solar Dynasty, 2012) retells the Ramayana for a contemporary audience in this YA novel.
In the distant past, King Dasharatha, the emperor of the world, finds himself summoned to fight in a battle of the immortals: “The horizon was black with blood-drinkers. The shining ones on Dasharatha’s side floated above the ground, emanating golden light; the enemy seemed to emerge from the darkest of hells.” Dasharatha hopes to fulfill an old prophecy—that a man of his line would bring the destruction of Ravana, the blood-drinker king. Dasharatha manages to survive the battle, but Ravana never entered the field; the emperor realizes he must return home and sire sons, one of whom may be the member of the Sun Dynasty, to finally defeat the demon king. The favorite son turns out to be Rama: green-hued and the best loved among his brothers, though also the subject of envy and nefarious plots. He is destined to encounter Sita, a princess of supernatural birth, whose behaviors speak of either astounding gifts or an unsound mind. Like Rama, Sita seems to be related to a prophecy surrounding the downfall of Ravana. The fates of the two young nobles become intertwined, and their adventures attain such significance that they will be passed down over the millennia. The first work in a trilogy, this novel will be followed soon by a second volume. Brilliant full-color illustrations by Johansson, which render the fantasy world in all its fearsome beauty, accompany the text. Sheth places particular importance on the female characters in her account, imbuing them with strength and pathos. These include Manthara, the persecuted hunchback; the Vishakanyas, virgins raised to have a deadly, poisonous touch; the spirited Kaikeyi; and the ethereal, misunderstood Sita. In his foreword, Philip Lutgendorf writes that telling one’s own version of the Ramayana is as much a part of the tradition as the story itself. With this book, Sheth offers young readers a Ramayana with all the grandeur of myth but also with rounded, relatable human characters who give the story some needed emotional weight.
An impressive recounting of an ancient South Asian legend.Pub Date: March 15, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-60887-659-4
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Mandala Publishing
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.
A fifth-grade New Orleans girl discovers a mysterious chrysalis containing an unexpected creature in this middle-grade novel.
Jacquelyn Marie Johnson, called Jackie, is a 10-year-old African-American girl, the second oldest and the only girl of six siblings. She’s responsible, smart, and enjoys being in charge; she likes “paper dolls and long division and imagining things she had never seen.” Normally, Jackie has no trouble obeying her strict but loving parents. But when her potted snapdragon acquires a peculiar egg or maybe a chrysalis (she dubs it a chrysalegg), Jackie’s strong desire to protect it runs up against her mother’s rule against plants in the house. Jackie doesn’t exactly mean to lie, but she tells her mother she needs to keep the snapdragon in her room for a science project and gets permission. Jackie draws the chrysalegg daily, waiting for something to happen as it gets larger. When the amazing creature inside breaks free, Jackie is more determined than ever to protect it, but this leads her further into secrets and lies. The results when her parents find out are painful, and resolving the problem will take courage, honesty, and trust. Dumas (Jaden Toussaint, the Greatest: Episode 5, 2017, etc.) presents a very likable character in Jackie. At 10, she’s young enough to enjoy playing with paper dolls but has a maturity that even older kids can lack. She’s resourceful, as when she wants to measure a red spot on the chrysalegg; lacking calipers, she fashions one from her hairpin. Jackie’s inward struggle about what to obey—her dearest wishes or the parents she loves—is one many readers will understand. The book complicates this question by making Jackie’s parents, especially her mother, strict (as one might expect to keep order in a large family) but undeniably loving and protective as well—it’s not just a question of outwitting clueless adults. Jackie’s feelings about the creature (tender and responsible but also more than a little obsessive) are similarly shaded rather than black-and-white. The ending suggests that an intriguing sequel is to come.
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943169-32-0
Page Count: 212
Publisher: Plum Street Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.
In the ninth book in the Bluford young-adult series, a young Latino man walks away from violence—but at great personal cost.
In a large Southern California city, 16-year-old Martin Luna hangs out on the fringes of gang life. He’s disaffected, fatherless and increasingly drawn into the orbit of the older, rougher Frankie. When a stray bullet kills Martin’s adored 8-year-old brother, Huero, Martin seems to be heading into a life of crime. But Martin’s mother, determined not to lose another son, moves him to another neighborhood—the fictional town of Bluford, where he attends the racially diverse Bluford High. At his new school, the still-grieving Martin quickly makes enemies and gets into trouble. But he also makes friends with a kind English teacher and catches the eye of Vicky, a smart, pretty and outgoing Bluford student. Martin’s first-person narration supplies much of the book’s power. His dialogue is plain, but realistic and believable, and the authors wisely avoid the temptation to lard his speech with dated and potentially embarrassing slang. The author draws a vivid and affecting picture of Martin’s pain and confusion, bringing a tight-lipped teenager to life. In fact, Martin’s character is so well drawn that when he realizes the truth about his friend Frankie, readers won’t feel as if they are watching an after-school special, but as though they are observing the natural progression of Martin’s personal growth. This short novel appears to be aimed at urban teens who don’t often see their neighborhoods portrayed in young-adult fiction, but its sophisticated characters and affecting story will likely have much wider appeal.
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2004
ISBN: 978-1591940173
Page Count: 152
Publisher: Townsend Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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BOOK REVIEW
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