Despite some pacing issues, a promising start to a new series.
Three young siblings find themselves transported back in time to the 1453 fall of Constantinople at the hands of the Ottoman Empire in the first entry in Davies’ YA saga.
The world-traveled Bailey children—17-year-old James, his younger sister, Kelly, and their little brother, Ian—reluctantly move from the Netherlands to humdrum Wilton, Vermont. While living on the estate of their eccentric, recently declared dead uncle, Dr. James Bailey, the children discover a hidden room and a series of ink drawings by the relatively unknown artist Peter de Oppasser. Upon examining one entitled Constantinople, May 24, 1453, the three siblings are transported to the Byzantine Empire of the 15th century, just days before it’s to be conquered by the Ottoman Turks. Using Kelly’s extensive knowledge of history (often delivered in Mr. Peabody & Sherman–esque exposition dumps), Ian’s sharp memory for convenient trivia, and all three kids’ understanding of Greek language and customs, they begin looking for a way back home before they’re caught in the coming pillage. James knows that he must get his brother and sister to safety, yet a seemingly chance encounter with an alluring girl named Adara strikes him as more than a teenage crush; he’s unsure that he can take her with them but also knows that he cannot leave her behind. The novel has all the hallmarks of good historical fiction—it clearly represents the unique foods of the era and region, along with explanations of the local dress, religion, and other customs. The book excels at the little details, from the strange anachronisms surrounding Peter de Oppasser to the rich history of Varangians, the emperor’s elite guard. However, the presence of so much information sometimes works to the novel’s detriment, lessening the urgency of the situations the children face. Small, unsolved mysteries appear throughout the book, hinting at the actual fate of their uncle, a missing object of great power, and even Adara’s true purpose, setting the stage for further volumes without distracting from the main story.
Despite some pacing issues, a promising start to a new series.Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-69-248143-1
Page Count: 516
Publisher: Bent Wood Publishing
Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2015
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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