A mesmerizing, captivating Pacific Islands–inspired fantasy.
Given the opportunity to right a grave wrong from her past, a teen faces dangerous seadragon hunters in order to find the rare dragonfruit.
“In the old tales, it is written that the egg of seadragon, dragonfruit, holds within it the power to undo a person’s greatest sorrow.” However, “Every wish demands a price.” As a young girl, Lady Hanaleiarihi was the beloved descendant of a distinguished bloodline and a page to Princess Oliana of Tamarind—but her father stole a dragonfruit meant for the ailing princess in order to save Hanalei’s life, and he died soon after. Now 18, she lives in exile, researching seadragons in the Nominomi Sea. After she warns some seadragons of dragoner hunters, the ruthless Capt. Bragadin captures Hanalei and forces her to help his crew find the dragonfruit. After escaping, she ends up back home on Tamarind with a chance to make things right, and she searches for a dragonfruit with childhood friend Prince Samahtitamahenele, Oliana’s son. But she knows they face more than just the dangers of the sea and dragoners: The dragonfruit once cost her everything, and she’ll do whatever it takes to save the ailing princess and help Sam. Inspired by the lore of the Pacific Islands, this enthralling fantasy has action, adventure, mythical creatures, and magic. The worldbuilding is wonderfully crafted, including the beautiful island of Tamarind, its matriarchal society, and the community members’ deep connections to one another and their ancestors, gods, and traditions.
A mesmerizing, captivating Pacific Islands–inspired fantasy. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: April 9, 2024
ISBN: 9780358272106
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2024
A troubling depiction of an unhealthy relationship.
A battered girl and an injured rugby star spark up an ill-advised romance at an Irish secondary school.
Beautiful, waiflike, 15-year-old Shannon has lived her entire life in Ballylaggin. Alternately bullied at school and beaten by her ne’er-do-well father, she’s hopeful for a fresh start at Tommen, a private school. Seventeen-year-old Johnny, who has a hair-trigger temper and a severe groin injury, is used to Dublin’s elite-level rugby but, since his family’s move to County Cork, is now stuck captaining Tommen’s middling team. When Johnny angrily kicks a ball and knocks Shannon unconscious (“a soft female groan came from her lips”), a tentative relationship is born. As the two grow closer, Johnny’s past and Shannon’s present become serious obstacles to their budding love, threatening Shannon’s safety. Shannon’s portrayal feels infantilized (“I looked down at the tiny little female under my arm”), while Johnny comes across as borderline obsessive (“I knew I shouldn’t be touching her, but how the hell could I not?”). Uneven pacing and choppy sentences lead to a sudden climax and an unsatisfyingly abrupt ending. Repetitive descriptions, abundant and misogynistic dialogue (Johnny, to his best friend: “who’s the bitch with a vagina now?”), and graphic violence also weigh down this lengthy tome (considerably trimmed down from its original, self-published length). The cast of lively, well-developed supporting characters, especially Johnny’s best friend and Shannon’s protective older brother, is a bright spot. Major characters read white.
A troubling depiction of an unhealthy relationship. (author’s note, pronunciations, glossary, song moments, playlists) (Romance. 16-18)Pub Date: Nov. 28, 2023
ISBN: 9781728299945
Page Count: 626
Publisher: Bloom Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 21, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2023
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
© 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.
