A fun and powerful adventure for lovers of alternate histories.
A Beijing teen gets pulled into the ultimate heist.
The Beiyang clique came to power in 1915, with ministers manipulating the emperor and taking money from large corporations to maintain control; 150 years later, 17-year-old Zhong Ning’er lives in the slums of Beijing’s Sixth Ring. Ning’er sells her cybernetic prosthetic arm and leg to make ends meet, but when her father, who is addicted to drugs, cleans out her bank account, she takes a job as a thief with the Red Yaksha, a masked hero who steals from the Upper Rings to help the poor. Her unexpected assignment involves helping him free the Lark, an imprisoned revolutionary figure from the Lower Rings who spoke out against the corrupt government. Since her apparent death—her shooting was caught on camera, although no body was ever found—corruption has increased, and the Lower Rings have become even more oppressed by the gendarme and their androids. Focused on her payday, Ning’er works with the Red Yaksha and his crew, but she didn’t expect to make friends, much less feel hope for a better future for herself and all of Beijing. This cyberpunk story with well-constructed worldbuilding offers a strong mix of wit, humor, action, and heart. Centered on revolution, the story addresses a range of social and identity issues.
A fun and powerful adventure for lovers of alternate histories. (dramatis personae) (Science fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Nov. 28, 2023
ISBN: 9781665901444
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 23, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2023
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and...
A deliciously creepy page-turning gem from first-time writer and illustrator Brosgol finds brooding teenager Anya trying to escape the past—both her own and the ghost haunting her.
Anya feels out of place at her preppy private school; embarrassed by her Russian heritage, she has worked hard to lose her accent and to look more like everyone else. After a particularly frustrating morning at the bus stop, Anya storms off, only to accidentally fall down a well. Down in the dark hole, she meets Emily, a ghost who claims to be a murder victim trapped down in the dank abyss for 90 years. With Emily’s help, Anya manages to escape, though once free, she learns that Emily has traveled out with her. At first, Emily seems like the perfect friend; however, once her motives become clear, Anya learns that “perfect” may only be an illusion. A moodily atmospheric spectrum of grays washes over the clean, tidy panels, setting a distinct stage before the first words appear. Brosgol’s tight storytelling invokes the chilling feeling of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline (2002), though for a decidedly older set.
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and outward appearance. (Graphic supernatural fiction. 12 & up)Pub Date: June 7, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-59643-552-0
Page Count: 224
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: April 18, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2011
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations.
Magic, mystery, and love intertwine and invite in this newest take on the “enchanted circus” trope.
Sisters raised by their abusive father, a governor of a colonial backwater in a world vaguely reminiscent of the late 18th century, Scarlett and Donatella each long for something more. Scarlett, olive-skinned, dark of hair and attitude, longs for Caraval, the fabled, magical circus helmed by the possibly evil Master Legend Santos, while blonde, sunny Tella finds comfort in drink and the embraces of various men. A slightly awkward start, with inconsistencies of attitude and setting, rapidly smooths out when they, along with handsome “golden-brown” sailor Julian, flee to Caraval on the eve of Scarlett’s arranged marriage. Tella disappears, and Scarlett must navigate a nighttime world of magic to find her. Caraval delights the senses: beautiful and scary, described in luscious prose, this is a show readers will wish they could enter. Dresses can be purchased for secrets or days of life; clocks can become doors; bridges move: this is an inventive and original circus, laced with an edge of horror. A double love story, one sensual romance and the other sisterly loyalty, anchors the plot, but the real star here is Caraval and its secrets.
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations. (Fantasy. 14 & up)Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-250-09525-1
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2016
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