This sequel to Timeless (2011) delivers plenty of romance with even more time-traveling excitement.
In the first book, 16-year-old Michele traveled back to 1910, where she met Philip and fell in love. Fate separated them. However, Michele is the daughter of time traveler Irving from 1888, who traveled to 1991 and fell in love with Michele’s mother. As a result, Michele is dangerously “time crossed.” Enter evil Rebecca, who loved Irving and hates Michele. Rebecca has stolen a time-travel key and gone rogue, intending to kill Michele. Meanwhile, Philip has returned to 2010 as an 18-year old, but he doesn’t remember forever-heartthrob Michele. A quick trip back into time reveals a clue to jar the new Philip’s memory. More bopping through time will occur as Philip figures out who he really is and Michele struggles to defeat Rebecca with the help of a modern-day medium and others from different times. If all this seems a bit complicated, readers who like romance can enjoy the novel without figuring it all out. Monir avoids the sentence-fragment writing conventions of many romances, yet she doesn’t shy away from conventionally clichéd romantic dialogue. As a nice plus, the author seems entranced with the architecture of New York, and her descriptions of spectacular buildings enhance the story. A pleasant if rather silly diversion. (Paranormal romance. 12 & up)
Pub Date: Jan. 8, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-385-73840-8
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Oct. 9, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2012
For fans, a finale that satisfies.
Picking up just after the end of Legendary (2018), Garber continues to build the world of Caraval with a final installment, this time focusing equally on both Dragna sisters’ perspectives.
After they released their long-missing mother from the Deck of Destiny, Scarlett and Donatella hoped to rebuild their relationship and gain a new sense of family. However, Legend also released the rest of the Fates, and, much to their dismay, the Fallen Star—essentially the ur-Fate—is only gaining in power. As the Fates begin to throw Valenda into chaos and disarray, the sisters must decide whom him to trust, whom to love, and how to set themselves free. Scar’s and Tella’s passionate will-they-or-won’t-they relationships with love interests are still (at times, inexplicably) compelling, taking up a good half of the plot and balancing out the large-scale power games with more domestic ones. Much like the previous two, this third book in the series is overwritten, with overly convenient worldbuilding that struggles nearly as much as the overwrought prose and convoluted plot. While those who aren’t Garber’s fans are unlikely to pick up this volume, new (or forgetful) readers will find the text repetitious enough to be able to follow along.
For fans, a finale that satisfies. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: May 7, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-250-15766-9
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: April 6, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A fresh, generous, wide-ranging compendium of frights.
Spooky stories covering multiple subgenres, plus some added attractions.
Few horrific tropes or creepy conventions are overlooked in Duplessie’s debut. The stories are arranged into six sections: “Short Frights for Dark Nights,” “Anatomical Anomalies,” “Five Minutes in the Future,” “Be Careful Who You Trust,” “The Dark Web,” and “The Unearthly, the Ghoulish, and the Downright Monstrous.” Some of the best entries are grounded in familiar setups, but Duplessie is careful to avoid repetition. The stories’ relatively short lengths and the crisp, direct writing style make this volume inviting for even reluctant readers, but it doesn’t shy away from the truly terrifying and grotesque. That said, the grisliest events are often described with poetic elegance rather than gratuitous violence: “His face collapsed like an empty paper bag.” The stories frequently conclude with the suggestion of frights to come rather than graphic depictions. One ends with an overly curious girl getting sealed up in a brick wall. Another foreshadows the murderous power of a cellphone. Highlights include the eerie “The Reaping,” in which the prick of a rose’s thorn triggers a spate of bloodlust, and “Chamber of Horrors,” which features a murderous iron maiden. Each story ends with a bonus in the form of a QR code and instructions to “scan the code for a scare”—if readers dare. Short, eerie poems are peppered throughout; there are even a handful of riddles. Most characters read white; names cue some ethnic diversity.
A fresh, generous, wide-ranging compendium of frights. (Horror. 13-18)Pub Date: Oct. 10, 2023
ISBN: 9780063266483
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023
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