A genre-bending mystery at its best when showcasing its relatable young protagonist.
A teen who lacks superpowers (which everyone else has) turns amateur sleuth to investigate a murder in this second installment of Ford’s YA series.
Paley Curtis’s last summer before beginning high school isn’t terribly exciting. Her job is boring, and she lives with a family of six in a scorching, unairconditioned apartment. By the age of 15, Paley’s “talent” should have revealed itself, but unlike her peers, she still has no supernatural ability. Even so, she investigates a fatal shooting she witnessed some time ago, though she didn’t see the shooter. In the course of her sleuthing, Paley notices someone following her wherever she goes—three someones, actually. She suspects they’re spies for Dillon-Cray Engineering executive Stan Lemmelson, who believes she’s a “sparkie” able to generate electricity. She’s not, but her best friend, Jen, is; so Paley keeps quiet to protect her. The savvy, resourceful Paley has to worry about herself, too, when she is targeted for abduction. Ford’s story, which includes copious nods to past events and characters, assumes readers are familiar with the previous book in this series. The adolescent hero is immensely likable, persistent, and coolheaded as she evades the followers on her trail. Paley’s most notable villain is a school bully, and there’s clearly trouble in her parents’ marriage, quotidian concerns more compelling than the fantastical superpowers on display. Paley’s murder case doesn’t fully engage, in part because it’s a carryover from the last entry in the series. Nevertheless, Ford’s effervescent passages propel the story and conjure lyrical moments, as when Paley is caught in a storm with her best friend: “Car-sized wisps of cloud were flying down the dirt road, following the contours of the ground.” This sequel, with its decisive conclusion, implies the series’ end.
A genre-bending mystery at its best when showcasing its relatable young protagonist.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 353
Publisher: Manuscript
Review Posted Online: May 8, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
A sweet if muddled tale of the magic of Appalachia.
A teenage witch goes up against the evil king of the mountain to save a cursed village.
Witch-in-training Verity Vox has spent a year apiece in different villages, helping in any way she can as she learns her art. When it’s time to move on, she receives a sign that shows her where to go next. When the latest sign appears in the form of a note begging for help that floats down on a leaf, she’s eager for the challenge. Verity winds up in Foxfire, a village in the Appalachian mountains that’s been magically cut off from the rest of the world for years, leaving its people close to starvation. The root of their suffering is a man they know as Earl, who lives in the hills and strikes deals with the townspeople that ultimately cause crops to wither, folks to disappear, and the only bridge out of the valley to crumble. Verity is determined to change the villagers’ fortunes, but to do so she’ll have to face off against not just Earl but the ancient power of the mountains itself. Loosely based on the Germanic Erlking legend and told in a voice reminiscent of folktales, the story features a queer romance and a cast that presents white. The convoluted magic system undercuts the strong themes of reciprocity, poverty, and privilege, but Appalachian readers will instantly recognize home.
A sweet if muddled tale of the magic of Appalachia. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Aug. 5, 2025
ISBN: 9798890032706
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Page Street
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2025
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