A beautifully executed sequel that surpasses the first book.
Following the 2023 series opener, Nic grapples with keeping her prophecy secret.
Uhuru, a sanctuary city for Remarkables (supernatural people like Nic, who’s a Manifestor), combines Afro-futuristic technology with magic to create a seeming utopia. But Tyran Porter, Nic’s nemesis (and formerly her favorite author), has started a conspiracy theorist–tinged podcast to agitate against the government, the League of Remarkable Efforts, which is headed by Nic’s grandmother. Settling in is hard for Nic—she’s navigating complicated family dynamics and the dangerous Badili power that marks her as the Manowari, the prophesized destroyer of the Remarkable world. The discovery of her secret leads to Nic’s being blackmailed into a fetch quest to reassemble the three boxes that form the Book of Anansi, bringing her into contact with disaffected portions of Remarkable society and beings from West African folklore. After a twist that dramatically raises the stakes, she even takes part in a casino heist—all while grappling with questions of freedom and restraint, the greater good, and cycles of pain. Nic’s moral core and care for others result in her facing complex dilemmas that render her relatable and appealing. The book, which features a Black cast, contains nuanced social commentary that’s informed by the history of American slavery, and Uhuru (and its educational system) put fresh spins on beloved genre staples. Nic ends the story changed in ways that will leave readers excited to see what comes next. Final art not seen.
A beautifully executed sequel that surpasses the first book. (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 16, 2025
ISBN: 9780063225183
Page Count: 480
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant.
Robot Roz undertakes an unusual ocean journey to save her adopted island home in this third series entry.
When a poison tide flowing across the ocean threatens their island, Roz works with the resident creatures to ensure that they will have clean water, but the destruction of vegetation and crowding of habitats jeopardize everyone’s survival. Brown’s tale of environmental depredation and turmoil is by turns poignant, graceful, endearing, and inspiring, with his (mostly) gentle robot protagonist at its heart. Though Roz is different from the creatures she lives with or encounters—including her son, Brightbill the goose, and his new mate, Glimmerwing—she makes connections through her versatile communication abilities and her desire to understand and help others. When Roz accidentally discovers that the replacement body given to her by Dr. Molovo is waterproof, she sets out to seek help and discovers the human-engineered source of the toxic tide. Brown’s rich descriptions of undersea landscapes, entertaining conversations between Roz and wild creatures, and concise yet powerful explanations of the effect of the poison tide on the ecology of the island are superb. Simple, spare illustrations offer just enough glimpses of Roz and her surroundings to spark the imagination. The climactic confrontation pits oceangoing mammals, seabirds, fish, and even zooplankton against hardware and technology in a nicely choreographed battle. But it is Roz’s heroism and peacemaking that save the day.
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9780316669412
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Is this the end? Well, no…the series will stagger on through at least one more scheduled sequel.
Sure signs that the creative wells are running dry at last, the Captain’s ninth, overstuffed outing both recycles a villain (see Book 4) and offers trendy anti-bullying wish fulfillment.
Not that there aren’t pranks and envelope-pushing quips aplenty. To start, in an alternate ending to the previous episode, Principal Krupp ends up in prison (“…a lot like being a student at Jerome Horwitz Elementary School, except that the prison had better funding”). There, he witnesses fellow inmate Tippy Tinkletrousers (aka Professor Poopypants) escape in a giant Robo-Suit (later reduced to time-traveling trousers). The villain sets off after George and Harold, who are in juvie (“not much different from our old school…except that they have library books here.”). Cut to five years previous, in a prequel to the whole series. George and Harold link up in kindergarten to reduce a quartet of vicious bullies to giggling insanity with a relentless series of pranks involving shaving cream, spiders, effeminate spoof text messages and friendship bracelets. Pilkey tucks both topical jokes and bathroom humor into the cartoon art, and ups the narrative’s lexical ante with terms like “pharmaceuticals” and “theatrical flair.” Unfortunately, the bullies’ sad fates force Krupp to resign, so he’s not around to save the Earth from being destroyed later on by Talking Toilets and other invaders…
Is this the end? Well, no…the series will stagger on through at least one more scheduled sequel. (Fantasy. 10-12)Pub Date: Aug. 28, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-545-17534-0
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 19, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2012
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