by Angela J. Townsend ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 31, 2014
This sweet, chaste entry into the world of romantic fantasy could have been so much more.
Tragically orphaned when young, a Seattle teen struggles to fit in then confronts demons in an isolated Russian village.
Living with drunken, blowsy foster mom Bambi (“If I would’ve left she would have lost her monthly check”) and Bambi’s endless parade of boyfriends, young Natasha endures nightly dreams about her mother’s brutal death and daytimes filled with despair. Two bright spots emerge: her remarkable artistic abilities and the enigmatic Chuck, a knight on shining motorcycle who puts up with Bambi for Natasha’s sake. Tutoring her in everything Russian, supporting her art and becoming the father she never knew, Chuck’s parting gift enables Natasha to return to her roots in Russia—where, in standard romance fashion, hunky but off-limits Anatoly meets her at the airport and in short order yells, shouts, snaps and generally glowers his way into her heart. Natasha quickly meets more young Russians with a mission and soon discovers her personal role in saving the world from evil, Chuck’s true identity, and why she and Anatoly can never be together. Townsend’s imaginative combination of traditional and apparently invented folklore elements provide interest and originality, but expository transitions are somewhat awkward. In the end, the intriguing mix of Russian mythology and ancient murals that come to life is underserved by an otherwise unremarkable plot.
This sweet, chaste entry into the world of romantic fantasy could have been so much more. (Paranormal romance. 12-16)Pub Date: March 31, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-940534-35-0
Page Count: 237
Publisher: Clean Teen
Review Posted Online: Feb. 4, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2014
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by Ben Philippe ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 8, 2019
Despite some missteps, this will appeal to readers who enjoy a fresh and realistic teen voice.
A teenage, not-so-lonely loner endures the wilds of high school in Austin, Texas.
Norris Kaplan, the protagonist of Philippe’s debut novel, is a hypersweaty, uber-snarky black, Haitian, French-Canadian pushing to survive life in his new school. His professor mom’s new tenure-track job transplants Norris mid–school year, and his biting wit and sarcasm are exposed through his cataloging of his new world in a field guide–style burn book. He’s greeted in his new life by an assortment of acquaintances, Liam, who is white and struggling with depression; Maddie, a self-sacrificing white cheerleader with a heart of gold; and Aarti, his Indian-American love interest who offers connection. Norris’ ego, fueled by his insecurities, often gets in the way of meaningful character development. The scenes showcasing his emotional growth are too brief and, despite foreshadowing, the climax falls flat because he still gets incredible personal access to people he’s hurt. A scene where Norris is confronted by his mother for getting drunk and belligerent with a white cop is diluted by his refusal or inability to grasp the severity of the situation and the resultant minor consequences. The humor is spot-on, as is the representation of the black diaspora; the opportunity for broader conversations about other topics is there, however, the uneven buildup of detailed, meaningful exchanges and the glibness of Norris’ voice detract.
Despite some missteps, this will appeal to readers who enjoy a fresh and realistic teen voice. (Fiction. 13-16)Pub Date: Jan. 8, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-06-282411-0
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Oct. 14, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2018
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by Ben Philippe
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by Patricia McCormick ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 8, 2012
Though it lacks references or suggestions for further reading, Arn's agonizing story is compelling enough that many readers...
A harrowing tale of survival in the Killing Fields.
The childhood of Arn Chorn-Pond has been captured for young readers before, in Michelle Lord and Shino Arihara's picture book, A Song for Cambodia (2008). McCormick, known for issue-oriented realism, offers a fictionalized retelling of Chorn-Pond's youth for older readers. McCormick's version begins when the Khmer Rouge marches into 11-year-old Arn's Cambodian neighborhood and forces everyone into the country. Arn doesn't understand what the Khmer Rouge stands for; he only knows that over the next several years he and the other children shrink away on a handful of rice a day, while the corpses of adults pile ever higher in the mango grove. Arn does what he must to survive—and, wherever possible, to protect a small pocket of children and adults around him. Arn's chilling history pulls no punches, trusting its readers to cope with the reality of children forced to participate in murder, torture, sexual exploitation and genocide. This gut-wrenching tale is marred only by the author's choice to use broken English for both dialogue and description. Chorn-Pond, in real life, has spoken eloquently (and fluently) on the influence he's gained by learning English; this prose diminishes both his struggle and his story.
Though it lacks references or suggestions for further reading, Arn's agonizing story is compelling enough that many readers will seek out the history themselves. (preface, author's note) (Historical fiction. 12-15)Pub Date: May 8, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-06-173093-1
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 20, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2012
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by Patricia McCormick ; illustrated by Iacopo Bruno
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by Malala Yousafzai with Patricia McCormick
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