The adventure, possibility, and closure that wrap up the mystery-driven, music-fueled Exile series will leave fans satisfied...
Dangerheart band manager Summer has just revealed a secret to Caleb, her boyfriend and the band’s lead singer, that turns his world inside out; once again, there is a twist regarding the presumed-to-be-dead rock star Eli White, who is also father to Caleb and Dangerheart bassist Val.
The band faces major fallout after traveling across the country on a tour that was set up, in part, as a scavenger hunt to find the recordings of Eli’s missing songs before the record label Candy Shell can find them and claim ownership. Angry parents, band turmoil, and pushy music executives abound upon their return. It is in this chaos that new information surfaces about the potential whereabouts of Eli White’s third hidden song…and perhaps even the man himself. This prompts Summer, Caleb, and Val to take matters into their own hands, traveling to London to secure answers to the questions they’ve been chasing. The drama that propels this trilogy closer is more mature than the previous novels’. Rather than teen romance and band squabbles, the characters now find themselves treading the murky waters of family, forgiveness, and self-trust as their high school lives come to a close.
The adventure, possibility, and closure that wrap up the mystery-driven, music-fueled Exile series will leave fans satisfied and hopeful. (Fiction. 14-17)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-213401-1
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
Full of drama, emotional turmoil, and high stakes.
What happens to the world after the dust from a revolution has settled?
Friends Annie and Lee were children from very different circles when Atreus killed Lee’s father, dragonlord Leon Stormscourge, ending the uprising on the bloodiest day in Callipolis’ history. For too long the dragonriders held all the power while their people starved and lived in fear. Nine years later, a new generation of dragonriders is emerging, children selected and trained on merit, not bloodlines. Their dragons are finally mature enough for them to compete for Firstrider, a position of power that can give Lee back a small part of what his family lost. However, not only is Lee competing against Annie, but rumors are circulating that some of the royal family have survived and have dragons of their own. Everyone will have to make a choice: Restore the old regime, support the First Protector and the new caste system he created, or look for a new way, no matter what the cost. From the beginning, this book pulls readers in with political intrigue and action. What keeps them invested, however, are the complex relationships between many cast members. Choices are complex, and the consequences for all could be deadly. The world is well fleshed out and believable. Annie and Lee are light skinned; secondary characters are diverse, and race is a nonissue in this world.
Full of drama, emotional turmoil, and high stakes. (author’s note) (Fantasy.14-17)Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-525-51821-1
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: July 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2019
Several yards short of a touchdown.
A transgender boy starting over at a new school falls hard for a popular cheerleader with a reputation to protect in this debut.
On the first day of senior year, transgender boy Pony locks eyes with cisgender cheerleader Georgia. They both have pasts they want to leave behind. No one at Hillcrest High knows that Pony is transgender, and he intends to keep it that way. Georgia’s last boyfriend shook her trust in boys, and now she’s determined to forget him. As mutual attraction draws them together, Pony and Georgia must decide what they are willing to risk for a relationship. Pony’s best friend, Max, who is also transgender, disapproves of Pony’s choice to live stealth; this disagreement leads to serious conflict in their relationship. Meanwhile, Georgia and Pony behave as if Pony’s trans identity was a secret he was lying to her about rather than private information for him to share of his own volition. The characters only arrive at a hopeful resolution after Pony pays high physical and emotional prices. McSmith places repeated emphasis on the born-in-the-wrong-body narrative when the characters discuss trans identities. Whiteness is situated as the norm, and all main characters are white.
Several yards short of a touchdown. (Fiction. 14-17)Pub Date: May 26, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-06-294317-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
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