A touching end to a tale about cursed bloodlines, politics, and love.
Amora and her lovable crew are back in a dramatic duology closer.
After the life-changing events at the end of All the Stars and Teeth (2020), the recently crowned Queen Amora sees her kingdom of Visidia in turmoil, her authority questioned, and her ideals put in check by the secrets kept by her family over centuries. Now unable to wield her powerful magic and with half of her soul trapped inside the dashing pirate Bastian, Amora and her friends sail all over the kingdom to find a legendary artifact that may break her curse and finally allow her to make things right for her people. This powerful sequel effectively resolves wider political and societal issues and thoughtfully engages with Amora’s inner struggles with regard to her power, accountability for mistakes made in the past, her romantic feelings for Bastian, and her ongoing PTSD after witnessing the death of her father. The book is at its best when focusing on the captivating found family formed by Amora’s close friends and their fierce loyalty to one another, although some of the drama within the crew is unnecessarily and frustratingly protracted due to Amora’s unconvincing resolve to keep secrets from them. The denouement may feel rushed, but the book ultimately sticks the landing. In a world featuring characters with diverse physical appearances, Amora has brown skin.
A touching end to a tale about cursed bloodlines, politics, and love. (map) (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: Feb. 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-30781-1
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Imprint
Review Posted Online: Nov. 25, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Exactly what the title promises.
A grieving teen’s devotion to romance films might ruin her chances at actual romance.
Liz Buxbaum has always adored rom-coms, not least for helping her still feel close to her screenwriter mother, who died when she was little. Liz hopes that her senior year might turn into a real-life romantic fantasy, as an old crush has moved back to town, cuter and nicer than ever. Surely she can get Michael to ask her to prom. If only Wes, the annoying boy next door, would help her with her scheming! This charming, fluffy concoction manages to pack into one goofy plot every conceivable trope, from fake dating to the makeover to the big misunderstanding. Creative, quirky, daydreaming Liz is just shy of an annoying stereotype, saved by a dry wit and unresolved grief and anger. Wes makes for a delightful bad boy with a good heart, and supporting characters—including a sassy best friend, a perfect popular rival, even a (not really) evil stepmother—all get the opportunity to transcend their roles. The only villain here is Liz’s lovelorn imagination, provoking her into foolish lies that cause actual hurt feelings; but she is sufficiently self-aware to make amends just in time for the most important trope of all: a blissfully happy ending. All characters seem to be White by default.
Exactly what the title promises. (Romance. 12-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-6762-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK TO SCREEN
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