A high-interest fantasy romp.
Three friends face one giant problem.
Since narrowly escaping many dangers in Mihi Ever After (2022), Korean American Mihi Whan Park has been afraid to admit her secret to besties Reese and Savannah: She misses the Rainbow Realm and its magic. When Genevieve, Mihi’s former best friend and current archnemesis, is near tears due to punishment for a fight they got into at school, Mihi impulsively tells her about the Rainbow Realm in an attempt to cheer her up. Soon after, Genevieve disappears—and Mihi discovers her backpack near the portal. Mihi, Reese, and Savannah decide they ought to rescue Genevieve even though “she’s rude and a little spoiled and she doesn’t seem to care about other people’s feelings.” They are surprised to find the Rainbow Realm in dire straits thanks to a large beanstalk and a giant who has been stealing the rain. The action-packed plot maintains a brisk pace as the trio meet with familiar characters, friendly and otherwise, and learn that Genevieve has gone searching for the giant’s gold. Using a spell, the three girls disguise themselves and sneak into the giant’s ball. Even though they are captured, with a bit of magic and ingenuity, they are able to save the day. Keller deftly explores both perseverance and the evolving nature of friendships that sometimes need to end. Readers would benefit from familiarity with the first book. The ending paves the way for another adventure. Final art not seen.
A high-interest fantasy romp. (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: May 16, 2023
ISBN: 9781250814227
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023
A deeply imaginative journey that puts the “cat” in cathartic.
A loyal black kitten’s boy is under supernatural attack.
Eleven-month-old Nimbus loves Fletcher, the boy who nursed her back to health following life-threatening injuries. When Fletcher becomes curious about a strange jar and opens it, releasing a terrible goblin, loyal Nim protects Fletcher, taking heavy damage in the process. But Fletcher’s aunt, who’s caring for him over spring break, believes Nim attacked Fletcher and dumps her far from home. Rhett, a stylish rat with star quality, befriends injured Nim and leads her to a witch’s house. While the witch cares for Nim, the witch’s cats (maternal Fern, bookish Rochester, standoffish Bianca, and openly hostile Abraxas) teach Nim important cat skills. She also discovers she has a supernatural ability: In destroying one eye of the nightmare demon in the fight to protect Fletcher, Nim gained its “dream sight.” But she also learns it might come back for Fletcher, who no longer has Nim to protect him, posing a time-sensitive, high-stakes threat. Even though the witch’s home is nice and magic itself seems to be telling her to stay put, Nim wants to find a way back to Fletcher. As a hero, Nimbus is as gritty and determined as she is adorable. Tear-jerker moments explore pet abandonment—readers may want their own pets on hand to hug—all the way through the magical, action-packed finale. Fletcher and the witch read white.
A deeply imaginative journey that puts the “cat” in cathartic. (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9780062680372
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
A successful call for creating and imagining, even if the story itself falls short.
In the dystopian, totalitarian world of 2099, 14-year-old Tessa and her family are desperate to solve the mystery of her twin brother Theo’s disappearance.
Tessa is growing up in a time when playgrounds are historical relics, surveillance cameras are everywhere, music is outlawed, and owning books is illegal. Under the absolute rule of Zokiris, the decadeslong leader of her territory, people are heavily controlled. When Theo vanishes under mysterious circumstances and his name is erased from the Territory Statistics list, Tessa’s 135-year-old neighbor, Miriam, gives the family contraband books that become central to figuring out Theo’s whereabouts. Most books have long since been seized and stored away in Building 903; Tessa is intrigued by their presence in her home, while her mother is terrified. Lowry, the acclaimed, award-winning author of The Giver (1993), shines in her creation of uncomfortably believable dystopian societies. Tessa’s painfully limited world is fully imagined, with its own history, laws, and norms. Her relationship with her brother reads as realistic and tender and is crucial to the mystery. Miriam is the most strongly developed character: wise and independent, unafraid and hopeful. While the climb to the book’s climax is captivating, the hurried resolution is disappointing. The powerful messaging around the importance of literature and imagination certainly resonates, however. The main characters present white.
A successful call for creating and imagining, even if the story itself falls short. (Dystopian. 9-12)Pub Date: Sept. 29, 2026
ISBN: 9780063515109
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 6, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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