by Rae Carson ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 27, 2013
A smashing ending to a trilogy that began with problematic body hatred but developed into the stellar journey of a girl who...
A queen can defeat the conde who stole her throne, but it means nothing if her land is destroyed by fire-throwing invaders.
Queen Lucero-Elisa né Riqueza de Vega—Elisa to her friends—has lost her throne, her bodyguard/nurse and her beloved (The Crown of Embers, 2012). All she has left is the Godstone in her navel, and it’s brimming with more power than ever before. Slowed by the need to protect a helpless child, trained in magic by a failed sorcerer, threatened even by the weather—she’s traveled so far ice falls from the sky!—Elisa knows her first priority is to protect her country from the invading Invierno animagi. The Inviernos, tall, fair-skinned and not-quite human, believe that generations ago, Elisa’s people came to this land and destroyed their magical birthright; now they want revenge. Despite the Godstone marking her as a once-in-a-century prophesied heroine, Elisa must save the day with her “only lasting power,” her smarts. This well-read girl spent her childhood studying warfare and international diplomacy and has the skills to lead both a war party and a country. Her foretold destiny is resolved with a marvelous and refreshing twist on literary tropes.
A smashing ending to a trilogy that began with problematic body hatred but developed into the stellar journey of a girl who would be queen . (Fantasy. 13-16)Pub Date: Aug. 27, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-06-202654-5
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: April 23, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2013
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by Jenna Miller ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 7, 2023
Despite the well-meaning warmth, a wearying plod.
Can a 17-year-old with her first girlfriend prevent real-life folks from discovering her online fandoms?
Cass is proudly queer, happily fat, and extremely secretive about being a fan who role-plays on Discord. Back in middle school, she had what she calls a gaming addiction, playing “The Sims” so much her parents had to take the game away. Now, turning to her role-play friends to cope with her fighting parents, she worries that people will judge her for her fannishness and online life. To be fair, her grades are suffering. And sure, maybe she’s missed a college application deadline. Also, her mom has suddenly left Minneapolis and moved to Maine to be with a man she met online. But on the other hand, Cass is finally dating her amazingly cute longtime crush, Taylor. Pansexual Taylor is a gamer, a little bit punk, White like Cass, and so, so great—but she still can’t help comparing her to Rowan, Cass’ online best friend and role-playing ship partner. But Rowan doesn’t want to be a dirty little secret and doesn’t see why Cass can’t be honest about this part of her life. The inevitable train wreck of her lies looms on the horizon for months in an overlong morality play building to the climax that includes tidy resolutions to all the character arcs that are quite heartwarming but, in the case of Cass’ estranged mother, narratively unearned.
Despite the well-meaning warmth, a wearying plod. (Fiction. 13-16)Pub Date: Feb. 7, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-06-324332-3
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2022
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by Ashley Elston ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2019
An enjoyable, if predictable, romantic holiday story.
Is an exuberant extended family the cure for a breakup? Sophie is about to find out.
When Sophie unexpectedly breaks up with her boyfriend, she isn’t thrilled about spending the holidays at her grandparents’ house instead of with him. And when her grandmother forms a plan to distract Sophie from her broken heart—10 blind dates, each set up by different family members—she’s even less thrilled. Everyone gets involved with the matchmaking, even forming a betting pool on the success of each date. But will Sophie really find someone to fill the space left by her ex? Will her ex get wind of Sophie’s dating spree via social media and want them to get back together? Is that what she even wants anymore? This is a fun story of finding love, getting to know yourself, and getting to know your family. The pace is quick and light, though the characters are fairly shallow and occasionally feel interchangeable, especially with so many names involved. A Christmas tale, the plot is a fast-paced series of dinners, parties, and games, relayed in both narrative form and via texts, though the humor occasionally feels stiff and overwrought. The ending is satisfying, though largely unsurprising. Most characters default to white as members of Sophie’s Italian American extended family, although one of her cousins has a Filipina mother. One uncle is gay.
An enjoyable, if predictable, romantic holiday story. (Fiction. 13-16)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-368-02749-6
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: June 22, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2019
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