Intricate plots at breakneck speed, with a dash of science and international politics for good measure.
Kublicki holds down the throttle in this drag race of an international espionage thriller.
Out of the gate, Kublicki (The Diamond Conspiracy, 2011, etc.) dives into a noirish escape plot, complete with high profile targets and a mysterious secret. Patrick Carlton, a DOJ prosecutor, picks up that trail years later, discovering a handbill from the premiere of Montgomery Grant’s final film before his tragic death. But his investigation into the strange address scrawled on the paper draws attention from a slew of government agencies and foreign intelligence services. Carlton’s refusal to abandon his search embroils him in a DARPA project working to solve the world’s energy crisis—unless a Saudi terrorist faction destabilizes the global economy first. Readers won’t have to wait for Kublicki to deliver the action; a game-changing event occurs in every chapter, and the secrets seep out slowly, just enough to lead readers deeper into this labyrinth of interlocking plots. Yet Kublicki’s forte is white-knuckle action, and the plot structure feeds that talent. At times, though, because Kublicki writes as if impending global crisis is at the fore, readers will need to stretch their suspension of disbelief. Global plotlines will appeal to international-politics buffs, although sometimes the forces at play seem implausible. Too many events happen at once across the globe, and everything hinges on Carlton; he even briefly plays military commander at the DARPA base, drawing from his background in the Navy Reserve. But the complexity makes for solid entertainment because Kublicki ties up hanging threads—not that there’s much time for them to dangle. The intensity is relentless, even when Kublicki seems ready for a pause. His short paragraphs, concise sentences and carefully paced chapters create a race for the finish line.
Intricate plots at breakneck speed, with a dash of science and international politics for good measure.Pub Date: Dec. 17, 2011
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 503
Publisher: Rellihan Satterlee
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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