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THE DARK BENEATH THE ICE

Name: THE DARK BENEATH THE ICE
Author: Amelinda Bérubé
ISBN: 978-1-4926-5707-1

by Amelinda Bérubé ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 1, 2018

It’s Black Swan meets Carrie and worth the right teen’s time.

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Stress pushes a former ballet dancer near to the breaking point…but her problems could be more paranormal.

Canadian teen Marianne Vandermere didn’t think she could cut it at her prestigious conservatory, though her mother, for one, disagreed. Marianne quit, and that decision haunts her—but something more supernatural seems to be haunting her now. She’s missing time. Mirrors spontaneously break, and the river seems to call to her through the incessant rain. Rhiannon (aka Ron) is the confident new girl at school, a goth with a mom who is a psychic. While staying at her Aunt Jen’s as her parents separate and her mother is hospitalized for mysterious reasons, Marianne asks Ron for help. The two attempt to communicate with whatever is bothering Marianne even though Ron is a skeptic. A dark entity that appears to be intent on destroying Marianne’s life…or taking it over…begins stalking the girls as their relationship blossoms into more than friendship. Can they free Marianne? Can they survive? Bérubé’s debut survives a few early hiccups (it’s slow to start, there’s excessive water imagery) to deliver a few fun frights and a well-constructed haunting-as-sexual-awakening tale for LGBTQ girls. It offers a realistic depiction of a teen caught up in her parents’ divorce, her struggles complicated by her shyness, sexuality, and perceived failure at ballet. Major characters are white, and there is some diversity in secondary characters.

It’s Black Swan meets Carrie and worth the right teen’s time. (Horror. 13-18)

Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-4926-5707-1

Page Count: 336

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Review Posted Online: April 29, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2018

Categories:

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT PARANORMAL & SUPERNATURAL | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT FICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
HERE THERE ARE MONSTERS
by Amelinda Bérubé ; illustrated by Danielle McNaughton

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THE UNDEAD TRUTH OF US

by Britney S. Lewis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 9, 2022

A terrifyingly grounded accounting of the monsters that haunt us.

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Grieving a dead parent is made even more unbearable by a zombie outbreak only Zharie seems to notice.

Zharie and her mother were the only Black women on the West Coast Swing dance floor, but after her mother’s death, Zharie is alone in other ways, questioning everything about her mom’s death, especially why no one else noticed she morphed into a zombie as she died. Now Zharie sees zombies everywhere, unsure if everyone else is oblivious, if it’s all a side effect of playing the Cranberries on repeat, or if it’s psychosis brought about by obvious trauma. But when Bo, a charming Black and Vietnamese boy, moves in above the apartment she’s sharing with her emotionally distant aunt, Zharie notices that half of him seems to be a decaying corpse—but only sometimes. The other half is the cute boy she wants to get to know better, if only because he’s an anomaly in this one-sided zombie apocalypse. Zharie narrates this mindfully haunting story with a sharp attention to sensory details, emphasizing the visceral shifts from living to undead and back; for Zharie, being close to Bo, with his soft lips and disarming smile, can quickly become proximity to death, gore, and a pungent stench. Still, she perseveres, learning that zombies are less a threat and more a symbol of heartbreak, but unfortunately there’s more to come as she uncovers the circumstances surrounding her mother’s final days.

A terrifyingly grounded accounting of the monsters that haunt us. (Horror. 13-18)

Pub Date: Aug. 9, 2022

ISBN: 978-1-368-07583-1

Page Count: 368

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Review Posted Online: June 7, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2022

Categories:

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT FAMILY | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT PARANORMAL & SUPERNATURAL | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES

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ANNA K AWAY

From the Anna K series , Vol. 2

by Jenny Lee ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 27, 2021

Entertaining.

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A tale of love and loss that spans the globe.

Instead of having a carefree summer, biracial (Korean/White) Anna is sent away from the familiarity of New York, her friends, the past school year’s scandal—and the memories of her dead boyfriend, Alexia Vronsky. While struggling with grief, her shattered self-image, and an uncertain future, Anna attempts to reclaim her summer in Seoul, where she knows only her father and grandmother. Beatrice, Alexia’s cousin, juggles her clingy girlfriend and falling for a California surfer even as she represses her grief. Meanwhile, Anna’s brother, Steven, plans for an amazing summer party, although Lolly, his girlfriend, is away at theater camp. Steven’s best friend, Dustin, and Kimmie, Lolly’s younger sister, are equally nervous about their first sexual experience together. This sequel to Anna K (2020) contains fewer mentions of luxury brands, and the characters exhibit an increased awareness of the impacts of wealth and socio-economic status. The novel also touches on issues of addiction, sexism, cultural differences, fame, relationships, love, and mental health; in particular, the portrayals of living with grief and redefining the self after a loved one dies shine. Despite some awkward time skips, the humor, pop-culture references, and characters’ distinct voices strengthen the story. Fans of the first novel will enjoy this follow-up, which is also accessible to readers new to Anna and her world. Some major characters are White; Dustin is Black and Jewish, and there is diversity in the supporting cast.

Entertaining. (cast of characters) (Fiction. 15-18)