cover image
LATEST ISSUE OF
Kirkus Reviews
Check out our interview with Rick Yancey, author of the wildly entertaining YA thriller The 5th Wave.
Kirkus Star
THE KIRKUS STAR
Awarded to Books of Exceptional Merit

BROWSE BOOK REVIEWS



Best Teen Books of 2012: In Other Worlds (page 5)

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

Cover art for DEVINE INTERVENTION
CHILDREN'S
Released: June 1, 2012
Kirkus Star DEVINE INTERVENTION
by Martha Brockenbrough
"As the clock ticks down on Heidi's soul, readers will be rooting for both Jerome and Heidi with all their hearts. (Paranormal adventure. 12 & up)"
Jerome is no teen angel. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE GIRL IN THE CLOCKWORK COLLAR
CHILDREN'S
Released: June 1, 2012
Kirkus Star THE GIRL IN THE CLOCKWORK COLLAR
by Kady Cross
"Surprising, vivid and cohesive--the work of a pro. (Steampunk. 13 & up)"
A steampunk adventure in which an omniscient narrator delves into multiple heads and a quartet of friends take lurid risks to save their fifth counterpart. Read full book review >
Cover art for A CONFUSION OF PRINCES
CHILDREN'S
Released: May 15, 2012
Kirkus Star A CONFUSION OF PRINCES
by Garth Nix
"Space battles! Political intrigue! Engineered warriors! Techno-wizardry! Assassins! Pirates! Rebels! Duels! Secrets, lies, sex and True Love! What more can anybody ask for? (Science fiction. 14 & up)"
Exuberant and insightful, this science-fiction bildungsroman grapples with the essential question: "Who am I?" Read full book review >
Cover art for ENCHANTED
CHILDREN'S
Released: May 8, 2012
Kirkus Star ENCHANTED
by Alethea Kontis
"Absolutely delectable; if it has more fripperies and furbelows than are strictly speaking necessary, it makes up for that in the wizardly grace of its storytelling. (Fantasy. 12-18)"
Readers who get past the generic title and an off-puttingly generic cover will discover a fabulous fairy-tale mashup that deserves hordes of avid readers. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE HERO'S GUIDE TO SAVING YOUR KINGDOM
CHILDREN'S
Released: May 1, 2012
Kirkus Star THE HERO'S GUIDE TO SAVING YOUR KINGDOM
by Christopher Healy
"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 >
Cover art for BITTERBLUE
CHILDREN'S
Released: May 1, 2012
Kirkus Star BITTERBLUE
by Kristin Cashore
"Devastating and heartbreaking, this will be a disappointment for readers looking for a conventional happy ending. But those willing to take the risk will--like Bitterblue--achieve something even more precious: a hopeful beginning. (Fantasy. 14 & up)"
Building on the plots and themes of the award-winning Graceling (2008) and its companion Fire (2009), this rich and poignant fantasy grapples with the messy aftermath of destroying an evil overlord. Read full book review >