Kirkus Star
THE KIRKUS STAR
Awarded to Books of Exceptional Merit

BROWSE BOOK REVIEWS




Best Teen Books of 2012: In Other Worlds (page 2)

Do fantasy and science fiction--or their cousins, paranormal and dystopian fiction--float your boat? Climb aboard a few of these books.


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Cover art for THE OBSIDIAN BLADE
CHILDREN'S
Released: April 1, 2012

"Part science fiction, part adventure, part mystery, but every bit engrossing; be sure to start the hold list for the sequel. (Science fiction. 12 & up) "
Vivid imagination and deft storytelling make for refreshing speculative fiction in this time-travel tale. Read full book review >
Cover art for RADIANT DAYS
CHILDREN'S
Released: April 2, 2012

"An impressive blend of biography and magical realism. (author's notes; select bibliography) (Fantasy. 14 & up)"
A 20th-century teen artist and 19th-century French poet Arthur Rimbaud transcend time and place in this luminous paean to the transformative power of art. Read full book review >
Cover art for BLACK HEART
CHILDREN'S
Released: April 3, 2012

"If you haven't discovered this series yet, get going; if you're already a fan, why are you even reading this review? (Urban fantasy/thriller. 14 & up)"
The conclusion to Black's brilliant and unusual Curse Workers trilogy lives up to its predecessors. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE CHAOS
CHILDREN'S
Released: April 12, 2012

"Rich in voice, humor and dazzling imagery, studded with edgy ideas and wildly original, this multicultural mashup--like its heroine--defies categorization. (Fantasy. 12 & up)"
Noted for her fantasy and science fiction for adults, Hopkinson jumps triumphantly to teen literature. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE DROWNED CITIES
CHILDREN'S
Released: May 1, 2012

"Breathtaking. (Dystopian. 14 & Up)"
In the visceral and deeply affecting companion to the Printz Award–winning Ship Breaker, Bacigalupi returns to a dark, war-torn dystopian future in which severe climatic change and years of political upheaval have left the United States a bloodied and ravaged landscape. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE HERO'S GUIDE TO SAVING YOUR KINGDOM
CHILDREN'S
Released: May 1, 2012

"Inventive and hilarious, with laugh-out-loud moments on every page. (Fantasy. 8 & up)"
Instead of finding Happily Ever After with their princesses, four Princes Charming (Prince Duncan insists they pluralize the noun, not adjective) must team up on a farcical quest to save their kingdoms. Read full book review >