Hocking sure knows how to bring it.
Hocking (Torn, 2011, etc.) saves the best for last in the final installment of the Trylle trilogy.
On the eve of her 18th birthday, Wendy is days away from marrying a man she doesn’t love and becoming queen of Förening. She is also on the brink of war with her father, the evil king of the Vittra. Rest assured, the princess is up for the challenge—each and every one of them. The Wendy of this novel would barely be recognizable to the girl who first discovered she was the daughter of the king and queen of two feuding troll kingdoms. With her newfound confidence and control over her powers, Princess Wendy has come into her own. There is also strength in numbers, as Finn, her Tracker, her best friend Willa, her host brother Matt and Tove, her closeted but loyal husband-to-be, stand ready and able to fight by her side. If only she had such command over her own heart. Wendy’s love life continues to be a hot, juicy mess as Loki seeks asylum in Förening and forces Wendy to acknowledge her feelings for him. The push and pull of their undeniable attraction, complicated by the presence of both her husband and her former lover, makes their burgeoning love story all the more delicious.
Hocking sure knows how to bring it. (Paranormal romance. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 24, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-250-00633-2
Page Count: 336
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Review Posted Online: Feb. 4, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2012
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
A haunting page-turner that smartly explores the complexities of teenage relationships and feelings of self-worth.
When police investigate a teenage girl’s supposed suicide, New Helvetia High’s most exclusive friend group comes under scrutiny.
The Thrashers are high school royalty. Zack Thrasher (the group’s namesake), Lucy Reed, Paige Montgomery, and Julian Hollister are wealthy and attractive. Jodi Dillon, who feels ordinary by comparison, has been friends with Zack since childhood. Not just anyone can become a Thrasher, but that was Emily Mills’ goal. After Emily is found dead the evening of prom, rumors circulate around school that she was Thrashed—socially ostracized—for trying to join the clique. Everything starts to unravel after investigators find Emily’s journal detailing how she was bullied by all of them—except Jodi, who rebuffed her. Jodi feels compelled to seek the truth surrounding Emily’s death without implicating her friends, but the more she learns, the more she doubts their credibility. The story’s careful, highly effective pacing contributes to the increasingly unsettling tension as strange and terrifying incidents occur. Readers who empathize with insecure Jodi are kept in suspense until the end, feeling relief whenever the others show genuine care for her while nervously anticipating the possibility that harm may befall her. Main characters largely present white. Lucy has brown skin, and Jodi is cued as white and Latine.
A haunting page-turner that smartly explores the complexities of teenage relationships and feelings of self-worth. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9781250377173
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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