A fast-paced tale with a likable couple that shines brightest away from Earth.
In the second book of Szedlak’s YA fantasy trilogy, a girl who recently traveled to another planet hosts a part-angel Watcher in her hometown.
Annie Sky’s high school friend squad is mesmerized by her new acquaintance, the “mega tall and buff” Phoenix, who boasts a jeweled sword and an impressive set of functional wings. Worried about Phoenix’s safety from inquisitive scientists, Annie hides the existence of the half-angel Watcher from her dad and younger brother, but she trusts her pals Eva, Pixie, and Bella to help accomplish the mission: getting Phoenix back to his native star, Diadem. Annie, a spectator to her mother’s car accident, doesn’t drive, and to send Phoenix home, they must take a road trip to a bookstore in Manhattan’s Chinatown that houses a magic mirror. With this portal, Annie reached the Black-Eyed galaxy, where she first encountered Phoenix. The Watcher’s appearance precedes sudden disturbing events in the town of Anderson Hill, where Annie lives, which could indicate a merger with Phoenix’s universe. Makka trees, native only to Diadem, spring up in Annie’s backyard. Gigantic three-toed footprints appear, followed by violent attacks. Phoenix hopes to prevent further leakage between the worlds by asking for help from the Keeper in the Garden of Souls, but the emotionally attached Annie can’t bear to have her Watcher leave. Szedlak comfortably and proficiently settles into the fantasy lane, making side trips to romance along the way. She sets a brisk pace, orchestrating the constant movement of her characters from the outset, when Phoenix abruptly lands in Annie’s closet. Their relationship is nicely developed: Annie teaches the angel about silverware and sour candy; he teaches her to stab demons. Both have experience with death and are concerned about Earth’s fate, and they strongly contrast with Annie’s friends, who are supportive and fun but immature. A return to the imaginative world of Diadem is a highlight: Watchers ride on “unisoroses,” passing “wildflowers caked in crystal dust” and “boulders suspended in midair.” The prosaic Anderson Hill has its moments, but Annie will never “hurtle through the thirteen treacherous rings of Dorbedos” there.
A fast-paced tale with a likable couple that shines brightest away from Earth.Pub Date: June 13, 2024
ISBN: 9798327343047
Page Count: 326
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: March 23, 2026
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An entertaining and atmospheric, though sometimes clumsy, exploration of the true cost of beauty.
In this retelling of a classic, a drama student’s obsession with beauty leads her down a dark—and possibly deadly—path.
Eighteen-year-old Penny Paxton is beginning her first year at Dorian Drama Academy in Edinburgh, Scotland, where she hopes to follow in her starlet mother’s footsteps—and earn the love that her mother has never seemed to offer. At Dorian, Penny is mentored by Royal Shakespeare Company legend Orlagh Camran, who makes her the compelling offer of a portrait by the Masked Painter, a mysterious artist with the ability to gift his subjects everlasting youth and beauty. But shortly after Penny’s portrait is complete, several of the Masked Painter’s subjects are found murdered. Fearing that she’s made a terrible mistake and may become the next victim, Penny, who’s gay, begins to investigate the murders with the help of an unlikely ally. As she attempts to uncover the truth surrounding the Masked Painter and the murders, she’s forced to reckon with her own toxic obsession with beauty. This chilling, atmospheric novel, inspired by The Picture of Dorian Gray, is entertaining and full of twists, though some of the reveals feel contrived and some questions are left unanswered. The plot unravels at a leisurely pace but eventually builds to an action-packed (if somewhat convoluted) conclusion. Most characters are cued white.
An entertaining and atmospheric, though sometimes clumsy, exploration of the true cost of beauty. (content note, author’s note, bonus scene) (Fantasy thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: May 26, 2026
ISBN: 9781250346797
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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