A rousing sequel, taking licks at romantic quandaries, family issues, and…other things.
A race to keep a device that destroys universes out of his ruthless mother’s clutches leads young time bender Antares de la Vega into narrow scrapes galore.
Mysterious clues about the location of an ancient superweapon send the South Florida teen into more of the magical, mythical Rymworld’s exotic realms, from the deadly Wytch Isles to the aptly named Forbidden Tundrå. In Rymworld, certain slugs will grant wishes when licked (ew), and foes ranging from cunning trolls and crocodile warriors to robotic mystics await. Antares brings with him redoubtable allies—notably fierce chipmunk Cheepee and purple-haired girlfriend Magdavellía, Empress of Agartha—and some chancy ones, too, including Mags’ former (she claims) squeeze, the handsome, sneering Valthazaar leKruel, or “Prince Uncharming,” as Antares sourly dubs him. Weathering daunting challenges, they travel via a smart-mouthed aerojet, woolly mammoth, and teleporting crop circle, at last meeting betrayal and ambush at Stonehenge before a climactic face-off over the fate of all the worlds with the psychic supervillain known as the Mystic (or, by Antares, as Mom). Though not labeled a finale, the episode’s main and subsidiary plotlines are sufficiently resolved by the end to make it one. As previously established, Antares comes from a multiethnic, multicultural background; most of the rest of the cast reads as nonhuman. Final art not seen.
A rousing sequel, taking licks at romantic quandaries, family issues, and…other things. (Fantasy. 9-13)Pub Date: Jan. 21, 2025
ISBN: 9781419759901
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Full of puzzles to think about, puns to groan at and references to children’s book titles, this solid, tightly plotted read...
When a lock-in becomes a reality game, 12-year-old Kyle Keeley and his friends use library resources to find their way out of Alexandriaville’s new public library.
The author of numerous mysteries for children and adults turns his hand to a puzzle adventure with great success. Starting with the premise that billionaire game-maker Luigi Lemoncello has donated a fortune to building a library in a town that went without for 12 years, Grabenstein cleverly uses the tools of board and video games—hints and tricks and escape hatches—to enhance this intricate and suspenseful story. Twelve 12-year-old winners of an essay contest get to be the first to see the new facility and, as a bonus, to play his new escape game. Lemoncello’s gratitude to the library of his childhood extends to providing a helpful holographic image of his 1968 librarian, but his modern version also includes changing video screens, touch-screen computers in the reading desks and an Electronic Learning Center as well as floor-to-ceiling bookshelves stretching up three stories. Although the characters, from gamer Kyle to schemer Charles Chiltington, are lightly developed, the benefits of pooling strengths to work together are clear.
Full of puzzles to think about, puns to groan at and references to children’s book titles, this solid, tightly plotted read is a winner for readers and game-players alike. (Mystery. 9-13)Pub Date: June 25, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-375-87089-7
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: April 2, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A pleasing premise for book lovers.
A fantasy-loving bookworm makes a wonderful, terrible bargain.
When sixth grader Poppy Woodlock’s historic preservationist parents move the family to the Oregon coast to work on the titular stately home, Poppy’s sure she’ll find magic. Indeed, the exiled water nymph in the manor’s ruined swimming pool grants a wish, but: “Magic isn’t free. It cosssts.” The price? Poppy’s favorite book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In return she receives Sampson, a winged lion cub who is everything Poppy could have hoped for. But she soon learns that the nymph didn’t take just her own physical book—she erased Narnia from Poppy’s world. And it’s just the first loss: Soon, Poppy’s grandmother’s journal’s gone, then The Odyssey, and more. The loss is heartbreaking, but Sampson’s a wonderful companion, particularly as Poppy’s finding middle school a tough adjustment. Hartman’s premise is beguiling—plenty of readers will identify with Poppy, both as a fellow bibliophile and as a kid struggling to adapt. Poppy’s repeatedly expressed faith that unveiling Sampson will bring some sort of vindication wears thin, but that does not detract from the central drama. It’s a pity that the named real-world books Poppy reads are notably lacking in diversity; a story about the power of literature so limited in imagination lets both itself and readers down. Main characters are cued White; there is racial diversity in the supporting cast. Chapters open with atmospheric spot art. (This review has been updated to reflect the final illustrations.)
A pleasing premise for book lovers. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9780316448222
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
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