The revolution rolls on, but readers may find their interest lagging.
Newly connected with leaders of the rebellion, twins Ava and Mira Goodwin set their sights on revolution in this sequel to The Rule of One (2018).
A futuristic United States, short on resources and high on advanced tech, allows families only one child. After a lifetime of hiding their existence, now Ava and Mira work with members of the Common, a rebel group determined to flip the loyalties of state leaders and bring down the tyrannous Texas governor Roth. The cross-country quest begins in Calgary and ends in the girls’ hometown of Dallas. Though action-packed, the linear plot lacks tension. High-stakes challenges are predictably achieved, leading to sometimes far-fetched victories that feel too easy (such as whole groups of citizens making split decisions to join the rebellion). The most compelling aspect of the first book—the protagonists’ experience as identical twins, as written by twin authors—doesn’t get a lot of attention here, and the girls’ characters don’t see much development. There is some expansion, such as the welcome addition of new narrative perspectives, including Owen, a dark-skinned programmer, and Zee, a mysterious work camp prisoner with ties to the Goodwins. The twins have green eyes and red hair, the Roth family is Tejano, and some character’s names hint at a somewhat diverse cast.
The revolution rolls on, but readers may find their interest lagging. (Science fiction. 13-17)Pub Date: May 7, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5420-4370-0
Page Count: 339
Publisher: Skyscape
Review Posted Online: Feb. 20, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Recommended for fans of punk rock and 1970s British counterculture.
Playing bass for Naked, Lili, 16, witnesses punk rock’s rise from counterculture obscurity to center stage in London’s music scene and comes face to face with the Troubles, Northern Ireland’s bitter, violent guerilla conflict.
Abandoned by her Mexican, film-director father, Rafael Garcia, left on her own by her Welsh, mentally ill, ex–fashion model mother, Lili’s mostly raised herself. Flattered, she’s compliant when charismatic white boy Curtis Ray taps her for Naked and then to be his girlfriend. She shares his passion for music—his appetite for drugs, not so much. Between gigs and partying with the Sex Pistols and the Clash, Lili finds herself drawn to Naked’s new rhythm guitarist, William “Billy the Kid” Bonney from Belfast, brimming with talent. But William has secret priorities that outrank Lili and Naked; he misses a gig that could have led to a record contract. First published in Great Britain in 2011, the novel is culture- and time-specific, referencing British realities likely unfamiliar to U.S. readers (punk minutiae, skinhead vs. punk animosity, NME, squats, and skips). A more serious impediment is Lili herself, narrating the story 35 years later. She serves as readers’ eyes, but Lili’s strictly an onlooker. Her choices neither drive the unfolding plot nor influence crucial decisions made by others. She remains a passive receptacle to the end.
Recommended for fans of punk rock and 1970s British counterculture. (Historical fiction. 13-16)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-5124-0418-0
Page Count: 424
Publisher: Carolrhoda Lab
Review Posted Online: June 27, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2016
Too much politics. Too little heart.
When an ex-boyfriend posts humiliating pictures of her online, 17-year-old Kate Hamilton feels responsible for the dramatic shift in political mojo that leads her father to step down from his U.S. Congressional seat and move the family from the nation’s capital to his hometown in Red Dirt, Texas.
This podunk town may be a far cry from the sophisticated world she’s used to, but the white teen quickly discovers that while the issues may be different, everything is still political, particularly when she discovers that the school’s quarterback is the son of her father’s new campaign opponent. Kate is determined to shore up her chances of getting into a fine arts college by using her time in Red Dirt to perfect her photography portfolio and snare the coveted principal’s recommendation from her cheating ex when the family inevitably returns to D.C. But she’s stuck here now, and using her political savvy to right wrongs and navigate life in a new high school where football reigns may be her biggest challenge yet. While Kate is likable enough, her tendency toward political-jargon infodumps often feels forced and inauthentic. The story is best when it focuses on the romantic tension between Kate and the mysterious Hunter Price, her biology partner and a man of many talents, and on the blossoming friendship between Kate and Ana Gomez, the one significant character of color.
Too much politics. Too little heart. (Fiction. 13-17)Pub Date: Sept. 27, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-545-81232-0
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Levine/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
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