Explosive; readers will be searching for the prequel.
In the second book to feature Aeron Callahan, a CIA “Ghost” operative tries to intercept terrorists planning a U.S. attack while eluding Irish hit men (The Ghost Effect, 2010).
Samantha Clarke, a member of the CIA’s covert Ghost Section, is in Ireland researching an assassination plot. She discovers that fellow Ghost (and boyfriend) Callahan is the target, and she finds a file that includes Callahan’s name and photo. The Armagh Syndicate, made up of three former IRA members, has Callahan in its sights; elsewhere, Mohammad Saif al-Din’s terrorist faction prepares for a strike against America. The novel moves at an impressive pace, reinforced by laconic dialogue and succinct chapters. Despite the presence of various international organizations, the bulk of the action takes place in the U.S., with the Syndicate even following Callahan to the States. Intrigue starts in the beginning: The American who hires the assassins to kill Callahan is only one of a group comprised of prominent government personnel, including an NSA analyst who fears he might have been duped into aiding Callahan’s demise. Callahan frequently evades death—the Irish tend to farm out the hit to other groups—but his circumstances remain dire, especially since a shrink suggests that he has a psychological condition related to his persistent migraines, which may prove fatal. Callahan and Clarke’s relationship brings together two people whose trade generally results in seclusion; although it often consists of Clarke bemoaning the fact that Callahan refuses to retire from his potentially hazardous duties, their connection is brimming with drama. It’s almost a relief when villainous Russians interrupt their conversation. In the resulting stellar action scene, both Ghosts show that they’re much better at combat than they are at romance. Readers exasperated by Clarke will, however, appreciate the end, when she more than redeems herself. The Irish assassins steal their scenes with comical, constant bickering, while the fact that they’re men of lethal means is never in doubt.
Explosive; readers will be searching for the prequel.Pub Date: July 21, 2011
ISBN: 978-1463668631
Page Count: 514
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Nov. 21, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.
A fifth-grade New Orleans girl discovers a mysterious chrysalis containing an unexpected creature in this middle-grade novel.
Jacquelyn Marie Johnson, called Jackie, is a 10-year-old African-American girl, the second oldest and the only girl of six siblings. She’s responsible, smart, and enjoys being in charge; she likes “paper dolls and long division and imagining things she had never seen.” Normally, Jackie has no trouble obeying her strict but loving parents. But when her potted snapdragon acquires a peculiar egg or maybe a chrysalis (she dubs it a chrysalegg), Jackie’s strong desire to protect it runs up against her mother’s rule against plants in the house. Jackie doesn’t exactly mean to lie, but she tells her mother she needs to keep the snapdragon in her room for a science project and gets permission. Jackie draws the chrysalegg daily, waiting for something to happen as it gets larger. When the amazing creature inside breaks free, Jackie is more determined than ever to protect it, but this leads her further into secrets and lies. The results when her parents find out are painful, and resolving the problem will take courage, honesty, and trust. Dumas (Jaden Toussaint, the Greatest: Episode 5, 2017, etc.) presents a very likable character in Jackie. At 10, she’s young enough to enjoy playing with paper dolls but has a maturity that even older kids can lack. She’s resourceful, as when she wants to measure a red spot on the chrysalegg; lacking calipers, she fashions one from her hairpin. Jackie’s inward struggle about what to obey—her dearest wishes or the parents she loves—is one many readers will understand. The book complicates this question by making Jackie’s parents, especially her mother, strict (as one might expect to keep order in a large family) but undeniably loving and protective as well—it’s not just a question of outwitting clueless adults. Jackie’s feelings about the creature (tender and responsible but also more than a little obsessive) are similarly shaded rather than black-and-white. The ending suggests that an intriguing sequel is to come.
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943169-32-0
Page Count: 212
Publisher: Plum Street Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.
In the ninth book in the Bluford young-adult series, a young Latino man walks away from violence—but at great personal cost.
In a large Southern California city, 16-year-old Martin Luna hangs out on the fringes of gang life. He’s disaffected, fatherless and increasingly drawn into the orbit of the older, rougher Frankie. When a stray bullet kills Martin’s adored 8-year-old brother, Huero, Martin seems to be heading into a life of crime. But Martin’s mother, determined not to lose another son, moves him to another neighborhood—the fictional town of Bluford, where he attends the racially diverse Bluford High. At his new school, the still-grieving Martin quickly makes enemies and gets into trouble. But he also makes friends with a kind English teacher and catches the eye of Vicky, a smart, pretty and outgoing Bluford student. Martin’s first-person narration supplies much of the book’s power. His dialogue is plain, but realistic and believable, and the authors wisely avoid the temptation to lard his speech with dated and potentially embarrassing slang. The author draws a vivid and affecting picture of Martin’s pain and confusion, bringing a tight-lipped teenager to life. In fact, Martin’s character is so well drawn that when he realizes the truth about his friend Frankie, readers won’t feel as if they are watching an after-school special, but as though they are observing the natural progression of Martin’s personal growth. This short novel appears to be aimed at urban teens who don’t often see their neighborhoods portrayed in young-adult fiction, but its sophisticated characters and affecting story will likely have much wider appeal.
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2004
ISBN: 978-1591940173
Page Count: 152
Publisher: Townsend Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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