Kirkus Star
THE KIRKUS STAR
Awarded to Books of Exceptional Merit

BROWSE BOOK REVIEWS




New & Notable Books for Teens: April 2012


Cover art for A BREATH OF EYRE
CHILDREN'S
Released: April 1, 2012

"A smart and rewarding ode to literature. (Fantasy. 12 & up)"
This richly satisfying tale of first and last love transcends its genre--not another breathless, fan-fiction take on a literary classic but an intertextual love letter. 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 WICKED AND THE JUST
CHILDREN'S
Released: April 17, 2012

"Brilliant: a vision of history before the victors wrote it. (historical note) (Historical fiction. 12 & up)"
Two girls of very different degree are brought together unwillingly by the English conquest of Wales. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE LIST
CHILDREN'S
Released: April 1, 2012

"The issue is seldom front and center in books for teens, but Vivian refuses to falsify or avoid the uncomfortable realities that looks alone confer status, and their power is greatest when obscured by the pretense that "looks don't matter." (Fiction. 12 & up)"
This riveting exploration of physical appearance and the status it confers opens a cultural conversation that's needed to happen for a long time. Read full book review >
Cover art for GRAVE MERCY
CHILDREN'S
Released: April 3, 2012

"A page turner--with grace. (map, list of characters) (Historical thriller. 14 & up)"
Fiction and history coalesce in a rich, ripping tale of assassinations, political intrigue and religion in 15th-century Brittany. Read full book review >