A more dangerous Alex Rider for the older set
An unnamed soldier infiltrates a teen military camp and picks up where his lost colleague left off.
Still recovering from the trauma of his previous mission in New York City (I Am the Weapon, originally published as Boy Nobody, 2013), Boy Nobody, known as Daniel in this sequel, embarks on a new one. He is to assassinate the ringleader of a secret military camp in rural New Hampshire, where he indoctrinates teens to become weapons of fear. Daniel knows he must win their trust and prove his leadership abilities, and that makes up the majority of the pages of this tightly written, exciting second outing. Zadoff packs in plenty of tension-filled moments that will leave readers on the edges of their seats, including some flirty repartee that leads to a bit of steamy action with the daughter of the camp’s owner. This time, however, the blood-and-guts level escalates. It’s no splatterfest, but there’s some bona fide Rambo action in which Daniel digs a knife into his own skin, and that will no doubt turn a few stomachs—but the book’s not really for those readers anyway. The novel’s only fault lies in Zadoff’s apparent need to keep going. Just when readers think they’ve made it through one breathless climax, Zadoff adds another twist that tacks on more pages and Hollywood-esque thrills. Readers won’t mind, however. In fact, they’ll be sorry when it finally stops.
A more dangerous Alex Rider for the older set . (Thriller. 13-17)Pub Date: June 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-316-19969-8
Page Count: 423
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: April 29, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2014
Several yards short of a touchdown.
A transgender boy starting over at a new school falls hard for a popular cheerleader with a reputation to protect in this debut.
On the first day of senior year, transgender boy Pony locks eyes with cisgender cheerleader Georgia. They both have pasts they want to leave behind. No one at Hillcrest High knows that Pony is transgender, and he intends to keep it that way. Georgia’s last boyfriend shook her trust in boys, and now she’s determined to forget him. As mutual attraction draws them together, Pony and Georgia must decide what they are willing to risk for a relationship. Pony’s best friend, Max, who is also transgender, disapproves of Pony’s choice to live stealth; this disagreement leads to serious conflict in their relationship. Meanwhile, Georgia and Pony behave as if Pony’s trans identity was a secret he was lying to her about rather than private information for him to share of his own volition. The characters only arrive at a hopeful resolution after Pony pays high physical and emotional prices. McSmith places repeated emphasis on the born-in-the-wrong-body narrative when the characters discuss trans identities. Whiteness is situated as the norm, and all main characters are white.
Several yards short of a touchdown. (Fiction. 14-17)Pub Date: May 26, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-06-294317-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
An emotional debut that celebrates the joy that comes from healing.
Two teens’ summer romance gets complicated by a long-kept family secret.
Jupiter Moon Ray Evans’ parents were in a car accident the day she was born—her father died, and her mom suddenly became both a widow and a mother. Ray is named after the dad she never knew, and his absence is a tangible part of her family. She hates that her birthday can never just be about her, but this year her best friend from boarding school is coming to Memphis, and they are celebrating at the roller rink, the one place Ray can get lost in her own world. While skating she meets Orion, and for both of them, it is love at first sight. Orion is also missing a piece of his family: Almost 10 years ago his little sister was hit and killed by a bus, and his happy family was destroyed. Orion finds a feeling of peace in swimming, which helps with his sensory processing disorder as well as providing an escape from his dad’s grief. Although the two Black teens will be in different states in the fall, they tentatively pursue a relationship. However, when a family secret that links them is revealed, they must decide if they can ever be anything to one another. Through a blend of prose and found poetry, this quiet novel thoughtfully explores the impact of absence on love.
An emotional debut that celebrates the joy that comes from healing. (Fiction. 13-17)Pub Date: May 31, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-42925-9
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2022
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