An irresistibly charming forbidden romance.
A plucky vampire hunter teams up with a bookish, recently turned vampire to stop bloodthirsty monsters in this paranormal romantasy set in 1830.
After Lalo Villalobos, 19, tracks down the vampiro who killed his parents, he ends up being turned into one himself rather than enacting the revenge he wanted. Using his newfound supernatural strength, Lalo escapes and returns home to Los Campos and his younger sister, Fernanda. Together they flee the busy city for the remote pueblo of Del Oro, which reportedly had a 200-year-old case of a vampiro that Lalo hopes holds the key to reversing his condition. Meanwhile in Del Oro, 18-year-old Carolina Fuentes wants to prove she’s just as capable as her father and older brothers of slaying sedientos, or “thirsty ones,” as the vampiros are also known—but only Abuelo believes in her. Four weeks after a tragic sediento attack on her family, Carolina stumbles upon Lalo. He’s feeding on an animal, and she’s determined to kill him, but she’s confused about why he seems so human and not the “abomination” she expected. Instead of slaying Lalo, Carolina eventually agrees to work with him to figure out whether they can unlock the secret to restoring his humanity. Montoya adeptly weaves elements of Mexican history into her sophomore novel, which features delightful supporting characters and lovable protagonists who have fantastic chemistry. The Spanish-speaking cast members are diverse in skin tone.
An irresistibly charming forbidden romance. (family tree) (Fantasy romance. 13-18)Pub Date: Dec. 17, 2024
ISBN: 9780593643372
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Joy Revolution
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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