A fun tale of fierce friendship and daring musical feats elevated by fantastic artwork.
Three high school juniors on summer break are chosen as backup singers for superstar Nika Nitro.
Pop enthusiast Jenni couldn’t be more excited to be on tour with one of her favorite singers. Serious cellist Lauren sees this job as a creative reset before she returns to her true love––classical music. And for die-hard heavy metal drummer Maggie, this gig is a means to bigger ends. However, the rehearsals prove more than they bargained for with Nika’s demands and critiques. On top of that, Jenni finds herself in danger of violating a tour rule: No romance on tour or you’re fired. When a night out at a rock concert turns sour, it sets off a chain of events that sees the girls engaging in a musical showdown that ends up putting Nika’s tour and career in danger. With a fast-paced plot and adorable and realistic characters, de Campi delivers an entertaining story that brings to life the wild and glamorous world of music while including positive messaging about honesty, self-acceptance, and friendship. The vibrant, colorful illustrations with a contemporary feel complement and skillfully enhance the storyline. This is particularly evident in panels depicting time jumps or concurrent events. Jenni is White, Lauren is Black, and Maggie is East Asian American in a cast filled with diverse characters.
A fun tale of fierce friendship and daring musical feats elevated by fantastic artwork. (Graphic fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: April 13, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-21259-7
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Imprint
Review Posted Online: Feb. 4, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2021
An intimate portrait of female friendship laced with literal and metaphorical magic.
Getting through high school requires more than a little bit of magic.
On prom night, when Alexis accidentally kills Josh Harper, she panics and summons her five best friends—Paulie, Roya, Iris, Marcelina, and Maryam—for help. Alexis knows she can rely on them, not only because of their unshakeable friendship, but because of what they have in common: the ability to do magic. Attempting to make things right, the girls cast a spell but are left with a disconnected collection of Josh’s body parts, including a cold, glassy version of his heart. They divide them up and agree to dispose of what is left of Josh, piece by piece. Alexis insists on witnessing each body-part-releasing ceremony, in the process exploring her bonds with her friends—and, in one case, feelings that go far beyond friendship. But as their relationships strengthen, the spell takes its toll: Every time they lose a body part, the girls lose something too, forcing them to rethink how they define themselves and each other. This work of speculative fiction is a profoundly thoughtful exploration of female friendship, love, growth, and identity. The fully realized characters are diverse in ethnicity, sexuality, and gender identity. While the final two-thirds of the book are beautifully paced, balancing introspection and character development with plot, the first third at times feels weighed down by explanation and backstory.
Pub Date: March 3, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5344-3287-1
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Dec. 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
Quite possibly the best teen novel featuring a girl questioning her sexuality written in years.
Big-town girl stuck in a small-town world full of lies falls for another girl.
Astrid's parents moved both her and her sister away from their New York City home years ago to a small town symbolically called Unity Valley. Since then her mom has drunk the society Kool-Aid, and her dad takes mental vacations in the garage to smoke weed. Astrid doesn't feel like she fits in anywhere. Two friends keep her sane: her closeted BFF, Kristina, and Dee, a star hockey player she met while working for a local catering company. Sparks fly between Astrid and Dee, causing Astrid to feel even more distanced and confused. Meanwhile, Kristina and her boyfriend/beard Justin use Astrid as cover for their own same-sex sweethearts, adding more fuel to the fire. King has created an intense, fast-paced, complex and compelling novel about sexuality, politics and societal norms that will force readers outside their comfort zones. The whole town—even the alleged gay characters—buy into the Stepford-like ideal, and King elegantly uses Plato’s "Allegory of the Cave" to help readers understand life inside and outside of the box. Only Astrid knows what she wants. She’s in love with Dee, but she's not sure if she’s a lesbian. She’s ignoring all of the labels and focusing on what she feels.
Quite possibly the best teen novel featuring a girl questioning her sexuality written in years. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: Oct. 23, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-316-19468-6
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 14, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2012
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