A double-stranded tale for reluctant readers with humanitarian messages that are sweetly and neatly resolved.
A summer vacation suddenly turns into a rescue mission when a rush of climate refugees threatens to overwhelm the ocean world of android Hugo’s green-skinned friend, Dorian.
Hugo is eager to join Dorian and their friend Ada, a boulder who will eventually grow up to be a planet, on a trip to watery Hydrox, Dorian’s home planet. They arrive to find a crisis caused by masses of butterfly people, who have been driven from their own polluted, warming planet, and by their rapidly reproducing pet otters, who have escaped to wreak havoc on the Hydrox residents’ floating habitats and submarine farms. What’s to be done? Even as they pitch into a series of predicaments on the way to reining in the invasive pets and engineering a new local home for the refugees, clockwork ex-servant Hugo and brash, royal Dorian find their friendship blossoming into a romantic flurry of kisses and affirmations of devotion. The multiplicity of species and intelligences in this story that explores ecological themes in an intergalactic setting makes for an unusually diverse cast. Better yet, the tale ends on a cozy note as Hugo gets past self-esteem issues rooted in his artificial origins and joyfully agrees to become Dorian’s official consort. This stand-alone companion to The Starlight Watchmaker (2025) features a straightforward text and a font and paper color designed to support readers with dyslexia.
A double-stranded tale for reluctant readers with humanitarian messages that are sweetly and neatly resolved. (Steampunk. 12-18)Pub Date: April 1, 2025
ISBN: 9781454960324
Page Count: 120
Publisher: Union Square & Co.
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
A magical story with a classic Disney feel exploring love, friendship, and leading amid hardship.
Shortly before the new queen’s coronation, a monster wreaks havoc, forcing a young fairy princess to intervene at her own risk.
In Pixie Hollow, the Never Fairies of Spring, Summer, and Autumn work to create seasons for the humans on the Mainland, while the fairies of Winter remain apart in the Winter Woods. Clarion, a governing-talent fairy who’s soon to take over as queen of Pixie Hollow, often looks wonderingly at the Winter Woods. But crossing the border is against the rules set forth by her mentor, Queen Elvina. When a monster from Winter breaks free and enters Spring, Clarion bristles at Elvina’s dismissal. Determined to be involved, she secretly travels to Winter, meets with Milori, the Warden of the Winter Woods, and learns that the land is nothing like what she’s heard, making her wonder what else the queen has been untruthful about. Together Milori and Clarion work to discover the secrets of Pixie Hollow, which may save them—or lead to death. Set in a magical place of flowers and pixie dust, this story considers the control we have over the roles we’re assigned. Clarion is a beautifully complex character—strong yet insecure, lovable due to her willingness to prioritize relationships over rules. Themes of fear, forbidden love, and good vs. evil are present in this fast-paced, engaging tale. Main characters are cued white.
A magical story with a classic Disney feel exploring love, friendship, and leading amid hardship. (Fantasy. 12-18)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9781368098458
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Disney Press
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2024
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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