An often exciting tale in a refreshing milieu.
A poor boy and a privileged girl journey together across dangerous North African terrain in Chisholm’s YA adventure.
Sixteen-year-olds Dash Lahlou and Laila Ammon de la Finistereare are from very different worlds. Dash lives in the Oasis, a small, secluded Algerian village situated in a valley of the Atlas Mountains, just east of the Moroccan border. Laila has been going to school in a wealthy part of America; her father is the Algerian Minister of the Interior, and her uncle's an adviser to the king of Morocco. Laila is being flown home to serve as a figurehead to unite the people of Algeria and Morocco, whatever their nationality or ethnicity, against rebel soldiers whose unchecked violence threatens all of North Africa. When Laila’s plane is shot down near Dash’s village, the teen boy is tasked with escorting her on foot across the mountains and into Morocco. The journey is arduous and full of peril, and Dash, who’s averse to killing and who wishes to become a doctor, must overcome his scruples to complete the mission. Laila, when she’s confronted with the grim reality of the rebels’ atrocities, must cast aside her detachment. As they’re hunted, betrayed, and manipulated, can Dash and Laila make their way to safety? And what will happen once they reach their goal? Chisholm writes in the third person, primarily from Dash’s point of view, with efficient narration and naturalistic dialogue. Readers who are unfamiliar with North Africa will find the setting enthralling, as Chisholm is adept at portraying its people, places, and culture without ever taking a didactic tone. The plot is straightforward, at least for the first half, and tinged with a fatalism that later edges into the territory of mysticism and dreams. Dash is a likable and believable character, and Laila is more enigmatic but still well drawn. The book’s only off note is its use of a framing device; in recurring, italicized insets, Chisholm details the jarring, rather puerile thoughts of Dash, who's writing a story to impress Laila. Not only is this metatextual commentary unnecessary, it also detracts from the main plot.
An often exciting tale in a refreshing milieu.Pub Date: Aug. 20, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68433-583-1
Page Count: 201
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Review Posted Online: Dec. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A contemporary hero’s journey, brilliantly told.
The 17-year-old son of a troubled rock star is determined to find his own way in life and love.
On the verge of adulthood, Blade Morrison wants to leave his father’s bad-boy reputation for drug-and-alcohol–induced antics and his sister’s edgy lifestyle behind. The death of his mother 10 years ago left them all without an anchor. Named for the black superhero, Blade shares his family’s connection to music but resents the paparazzi that prevent him from having an open relationship with the girl that he loves. However, there is one secret even Blade is unaware of, and when his sister reveals the truth of his heritage during a bitter fight, Blade is stunned. When he finally gains some measure of equilibrium, he decides to investigate, embarking on a search that will lead him to a small, remote village in Ghana. Along the way, he meets people with a sense of purpose, especially Joy, a young Ghanaian who helps him despite her suspicions of Americans. This rich novel in verse is full of the music that forms its core. In addition to Alexander and co-author Hess’ skilled use of language, references to classic rock songs abound. Secondary characters add texture to the story: does his girlfriend have real feelings for Blade? Is there more to his father than his inability to stay clean and sober? At the center is Blade, fully realized and achingly real in his pain and confusion.
A contemporary hero’s journey, brilliantly told. (Verse fiction. 14-adult)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-310-76183-9
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Blink
Review Posted Online: April 30, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2017
PERSPECTIVES
A timely and unabashedly feminist twist on a classic fairy tale.
Sixteen-year-old Bisou Martel’s life takes a profound turn after encountering an aggressive wolf.
Following an embarrassing incident between Bisou and her boyfriend, James, after the homecoming dance, a humiliated Bisou runs into the Pacific Northwest woods. There, she kills a giant wolf who viciously attacks her, upending the quiet life she’s lived with her Mémé, a poet, since her mother’s violent death. The next day it’s revealed that her classmate Tucker— who drunkenly came on to her at the dance—was found dead in the woods with wounds identical to the ones Bisou inflicted on the wolf. When she rescues Keisha, an outspoken journalist for the school paper, from a similar wolf attack, Bisou gains an ally, and her Mémé reveals her bloody and brave legacy, which is inextricably tied to the moon and her menstrual cycle. Bisou needs her new powers in the coming days, as more wolves lie in wait. Arnold (Damsel, 2018, etc.) uses an intriguing blend of magic realism, lyrical prose, and imagery that evokes intimate physical and emotional aspects of young womanhood. Bisou’s loving relationship with gentle, kind James contrasts with the frank exploration of male entitlement and the disturbing incel phenomenon. Bisou and Mémé seem to be white, Keisha is cued as black, James has light-brown skin and black eyes, and there is diversity in the supporting cast.
A timely and unabashedly feminist twist on a classic fairy tale. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 25, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-06-274235-3
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Nov. 18, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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