Kirkus Star
THE KIRKUS STAR
Awarded to Books of Exceptional Merit

BROWSE BOOK REVIEWS




Best Teen Books of 2012 (page 2)


Cover art for HAVE A NICE DAY
CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 16, 2012

"Aside from the too-anxious-to-eat valorization, fresh as a daisy and sharp as a tack. (Fiction. 12-17)"
Biting wit makes this quest for suburban normalcy in the face of depression and anxiety both laugh-out-loud funny and immensely intelligent. Read full book review >
Cover art for THIS IS NOT FORGIVENESS
CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 16, 2012

"Though the portrayal of Rob's deteriorating mental state is raw and often uncomfortable, in the end, the honest, uncensored storytelling makes this a tale that will stay with readers long after the final page is turned. (Fiction. 14 & up)"
A dark and dangerous thrill ride pushes teen readers to the brink of their comfort zones when it comes to issues of love, lust, politics, family and war. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE WARRIOR'S HEART
CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 9, 2012

"An uncommon (to say the least) coming-of-age, retraced with well-deserved pride but not self-aggrandizement, and as thought-provoking as it is entertaining. (endnotes, bibliography [not seen]) (Memoir. 14-18)"
Selecting high and low points from his experiences as a child, college student, teacher, refugee-camp worker, amateur boxer, Rhodes scholar, Navy SEAL and worker with disabled vets, Greitens both charts his philosophical evolution and challenges young readers to think about "a better way to walk in the world." Read full book review >
Cover art for THE FITZOSBORNES AT WAR
CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 9, 2012

"Absorbing, compelling and unforgettable. (author's note) (Historical fiction. 12 & up)"
War has been declared, and the young, royal, exiled FitzOsbornes are immediately in the thick of things as Cooper's Montmaray Journals trilogy comes to its conclusion. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE GIRL WHO FELL BENEATH FAIRYLAND AND LED THE REVELS THERE
CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 2, 2012
by Catherynne M. Valente, illustrated by Ana Juan

"Heartless September sprouts a heart during this remarkable, awesome journey. (Fantasy. 10-14)"
In this sequel to The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making (2011), heroine September embarks on another quest, this time to Fairyland-Below, where her shadow rules as queen. Read full book review >
Cover art for PASSENGER
CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 2, 2012

"Brilliant and remarkably unsettling. (Horror/fantasy. 16 & up)"
The menacing, post-apocalyptic world of Marbury is again richly imagined in this stunning sequel to The Marbury Lens (2010). Read full book review >