An appealing, complex romance infused with magical elements and balancing tension and heart.
Will shared visions of a possible future fate bring two teens together or set them on a course to ruin each other’s lives?
Chanel Cao, daughter of a model and a nightclub-owning billionaire, is the it girl at Beijing’s Airington International Boarding School. Ares Yin is the brooding and mysterious new student who seems “not just intimidating, but actually dangerous.” After Chanel spots Ares sitting alone at an exclusive restaurant one night, she’s intrigued enough to follow him into a park. She approaches him as he stands beside a lake—and when the moonlight shines upon the water’s surface, they both see a vision. Chanel sees her childhood home on fire with her mother inside and Ares standing nearby, holding a lighter; Ares sees his missing brother across the street from the burning house. Each teen becomes convinced that the other is key to their future—saving Chanel’s house and her mother’s life and finding the brother who’s been gone for three years. Chanel, who plots to save her mother by getting Ares to fall in love with her, was a minor character in Liang’s debut, If You Could See the Sun (2022), and this enjoyable stand-alone companion novel gives her room for compelling growth. Liang also explores complicated familial ties with nuance. Ares and Chanel have palpable romantic tension, and the development of their relationship drives a great deal of the story’s momentum.
An appealing, complex romance infused with magical elements and balancing tension and heart. (Speculative romance. 12-18)Pub Date: April 14, 2026
ISBN: 9781335014115
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet if muddled tale of the magic of Appalachia.
A teenage witch goes up against the evil king of the mountain to save a cursed village.
Witch-in-training Verity Vox has spent a year apiece in different villages, helping in any way she can as she learns her art. When it’s time to move on, she receives a sign that shows her where to go next. When the latest sign appears in the form of a note begging for help that floats down on a leaf, she’s eager for the challenge. Verity winds up in Foxfire, a village in the Appalachian mountains that’s been magically cut off from the rest of the world for years, leaving its people close to starvation. The root of their suffering is a man they know as Earl, who lives in the hills and strikes deals with the townspeople that ultimately cause crops to wither, folks to disappear, and the only bridge out of the valley to crumble. Verity is determined to change the villagers’ fortunes, but to do so she’ll have to face off against not just Earl but the ancient power of the mountains itself. Loosely based on the Germanic Erlking legend and told in a voice reminiscent of folktales, the story features a queer romance and a cast that presents white. The convoluted magic system undercuts the strong themes of reciprocity, poverty, and privilege, but Appalachian readers will instantly recognize home.
A sweet if muddled tale of the magic of Appalachia. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Aug. 5, 2025
ISBN: 9798890032706
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Page Street
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
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
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