A disjointed yet satisfactory duology closer.
The sequel to All These Monsters (2020) picks up seamlessly where the last one finished.
Clara and her faithful teammates are still killing scrabs—ferocious predatory monsters—in London, despite the devastating murders of their leader, Grayson, and three other teammates. Scrab numbers are down, but the recruits are in desperate need of respite. Nonetheless Clara remains loyal to the fight and her friends in team seven, even if it means orbiting the same universe as Julian, her former team leader, an explosively angry, controlling ex who physically assaulted her and is now relentlessly emailing her, seeking redemption. Clara’s emotional recovery from her traumatic relationship with Julian takes the main stage. Her emancipation from this abusive relationship is powerful, but the novel feels cluttered by the scrab plot, which drags at times due to a substantial decrease in action. The large cast of characters that was endearing in the earlier title does not receive further development, and readers may find it hard to track who is who and why they matter. Nonetheless, those invested in Clara will be heartened by her vulnerable journey of growth—and her ultimate success—in developing mutually loving relationships with her best friend, Maddie; distant brother, Laurence; and love interest, Edan. Clara and Laurence are Mexican and White; the first title described a diverse supporting cast.
A disjointed yet satisfactory duology closer. (Science fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: July 13, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-358-01241-2
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: May 16, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2021
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter.
After a Nigerian British girl goes off to an exclusive boarding school that seems to prey on less-privileged students, she discovers there might be some truth behind an urban legend.
Ife Adebola joins the Urban Achievers scholarship program at pricey, high-pressure Nithercott School, arriving shortly after a student called Leon mysteriously disappeared. Gossip says he’s a victim of the glowing-eyed Changing Man who targets the lonely, leaving them changed. Ife doesn’t believe in the myth, but amid the stresses of Nithercott’s competitive, privileged, majority-white environment, where she is constantly reminded of her state school background, she does miss her friends and family. When Malika, a fellow Black scholarship student, disappears and then returns, acting strangely devoid of personality, Ife worries the Changing Man is real—and that she’s next. Ife joins forces with classmate Bijal and Benny, Leon’s younger brother, to uncover the truth about who the Changing Man is and what he wants. Culminating in a detailed, gory, and extended climactic battle, this verbose thriller tempts readers with a nefarious mystery involving racial and class-based violence but never quite lives up to its potential and peters out thematically by its explosive finale. However, this debut offers highly visually evocative and eerie descriptions of characters and events and will appeal to fans of creature horror, social commentary, and dark academia.
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9781250868138
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in.
Black is back with another dark tale of Faerie, this one set in Faerie and launching a new trilogy.
Jude—broken, rebuilt, fueled by anger and a sense of powerlessness—has never recovered from watching her adoptive Faerie father murder her parents. Human Jude (whose brown hair curls and whose skin color is never described) both hates and loves Madoc, whose murderous nature is true to his Faerie self and who in his way loves her. Brought up among the Gentry, Jude has never felt at ease, but after a decade, Faerie has become her home despite the constant peril. Black’s latest looks at nature and nurture and spins a tale of court intrigue, bloodshed, and a truly messed-up relationship that might be the saving of Jude and the titular prince, who, like Jude, has been shaped by the cruelties of others. Fierce and observant Jude is utterly unaware of the currents that swirl around her. She fights, plots, even murders enemies, but she must also navigate her relationship with her complex family (human, Faerie, and mixed). This is a heady blend of Faerie lore, high fantasy, and high school drama, dripping with description that brings the dangerous but tempting world of Faerie to life.
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in. (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-316-31027-7
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Sept. 25, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2017
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