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THE GATES OF GUINÉE

From the Casquette Girls series , Vol. 4

A moody tale of teen-centered paranormal action and romance.

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A New Orleans witch, hoping to rescue her father, braves the Afterworld with help from friends and enemies alike in this fourth installment of a YA saga.

Callisto Salazar has stolen teenager Adele Le Moyne’s and other witches’ Spektral magic. He and his Ghost Drinkers coven threaten the entire city. Callis has also kidnapped Adele’s father, Mac, and will kill him unless she fetches the Medici vampires’ grimoire (book of shadows). But Adele, who fancies Niccolò Medici, has a plan to save Mac and everyone else. She’ll cut Callis’ tie to his magic’s source—his late father, Jakome—in Guinée, the Afterworld. Adele, Nicco, and five other vampires and witches must each travel through Guinée’s seven gates on their way to find Jakome. Even in the Afterworld, which resembles a desolate New Orleans, Jakome is a menace, and Adele doesn’t trust all in the traveling party. Arden has amassed an impressively diverse cast of varying backgrounds, skin tones, ages, and abilities. This harrowing installment focuses a bit more on witchery than vampirism and further develops a romantic entanglement among Adele, Nicco, and Air witch Isaac Thompson, who, like his fanged rival, begins this novel harboring a secret. Arden’s prose is lyrical, especially when describing the Afterworld, an unnerving place: “The archway opened into a circular room, which was simply an enormous pool of water. The reflection of the mirrored walls sparkled atop it like diamonds in a treasure chest.” While one subplot reaches a sublime resolution, this series has more to come.

A moody tale of teen-centered paranormal action and romance.

Pub Date: Jan. 19, 2021

ISBN: 978-0-9897577-6-8

Page Count: 550

Publisher: For the Art of it Publishing

Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021

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POWERLESS

From the Powerless Trilogy series , Vol. 1

A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.

The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.

Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.

A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)

Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023

ISBN: 9798987380406

Page Count: 538

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023

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IF HE HAD BEEN WITH ME

There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.

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The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.

Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.

There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.   (Fiction. 14 & up)

Pub Date: April 1, 2013

ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5

Page Count: 336

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013

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