A magical and romantic tale of identity.
An elf-hating goth girl is blackmailed into taking part in a magic exchange on the elves’ private island of Eterna, off the eastern coast of Puerto Rico.
Seventeen-year-old Puerto Rican Sevim Burgos steals elf corpses and sells them to a university professor for his studies—partly for the money her family needs, partly to get back at the elves that caused her father’s death. When Aro Herrera, the youngest elven prince, catches Sevim red-handed, he kidnaps Sevim’s mother in order to blackmail her into taking part in the Exchange. The annual weeklong event takes place on Eterna, where most elves have lived since leaving their home on Vieques after the U.S. Navy arrived. Three teenagers are allowed onto Eterna, where they can earn magical powers in exchange for their dreams, which feed the elves’ own powers of illusion. Alongside her two other human companions, Jason Baxter, a Black trans boy from Atlanta, and Kang Ryujin, a South Korean gymnast, Sevim undergoes the elves’ challenges. But the more time Sevim spends on Eterna, the more she realizes that Aro is keeping dangerous secrets—secrets that may well determine her own fate. Featuring plenty of adventure, puzzles, twists, and a dash of romance, this novel has original, if slightly convoluted, worldbuilding that forms the basis of an imaginative story about friendship, family, and, ultimately, carving out your own identity.
A magical and romantic tale of identity. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: March 28, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-64567-614-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Page Street
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
Fierce and fabulous fun.
A hopeful high school junior risks his social debut and the chance to escape his small town to take a stand against a femme-hating jock.
Like almost every LGBTQ+ teen in Mountain Pass, Washington, white femme Riley Weaver dreams of joining the glittering ranks of the Gaybutante Society. The Gaybutantes not only throw amazing parties, they provide a network of lifelong support. Being endorsed by a high-profile Gaybutante could secure Riley’s career as a podcaster and show his mom he has a future other than staying put and honoring their family’s local roots. All Riley needs to do is demonstrate the society’s pillars of excellence—service, hosting, mentorship, and spreading general gay chaos. However, when he overhears a gay jock classmate disparaging femmes, he can’t let the hatred slide. Determined to speak up, Riley makes a bet that he’ll find a cis, masc, gay guy who wants to escort him to the ball—or he’ll give up the society, which reflects and celebrates diversity, forever. With the bet as his inspiration for gay chaos, Riley launches a tell-all podcast documenting his romantic journey. This coming-of-age story deftly handles complex social themes of identity, social media fame, and discrimination within queer communities while maintaining a lighthearted tone. Amid the antics of fulfilling his pillars and pursuing love, Riley wrestles with jealousy, makes mistakes, and learns about meaningful apologies. A surprise twist brings the drama to a satisfying resolution.
Fierce and fabulous fun. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: May 23, 2023
ISBN: 9780063260030
Page Count: 320
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This commingling of comedy, brutality and fantasy evokes a rich alternate universe with a spitfire young woman as its...
A teenage assassin, a rebel princess, menacing gargoyles, supernatural portals and a glass castle prove to be as thrilling as they sound.
Being the most feared assassin in Adarlan is a notoriety 17-year-old Celaena considers an honor, even though it has landed her in a slave-labor prison no one has ever survived. A year into her sentence, the Crown Prince offers to sponsor Celaena in a competition with 23 other criminals and murderers that, should she win, will result in her freedom. The only catch? She’ll become the king’s personal assassin for four years, the same dark-hearted king who sentenced her to imprisonment. Woven in the vein of a Tolkien fantasy, Celaena’s world is one where magic is outlawed and power is snatched through greed and genocide. The third-person narrative allows frequent insight into multiple characters (heroes and villains alike) but never fully shifts its focus from the confident yet conflicted Celaena. And though violent combat and whispers of the occult surround her, Celaena is still just a teenager trying to forge her way, giving the story timelessness. She might be in the throes of a bloodthirsty competition, but that doesn’t mean she’s not in turmoil over which tall, dark and handsomely titled man of the royal court should be her boyfriend—and which fancy gown she should wear to a costume party.
This commingling of comedy, brutality and fantasy evokes a rich alternate universe with a spitfire young woman as its brightest star. (Fantasy. 14 & up)Pub Date: Aug. 7, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-59990-695-9
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: May 1, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2012
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