A cluttered and confusing start to a new animal-fantasy series.
Laoch, a 14-year-old Iguana, is training to be a Master Grower, but the rebellious Lizard would rather be an inventor and leave his village of Talamh for the city of Utomia.
When one of Laoch’s experiments goes awry, the Utomian Military Forces and the nefarious Other Army converge on quiet, agrarian Talamh. Just before the latter arrests Laoch’s parents, his father gives Laoch a mysterious gilded disc, instructing him to take it to Utomia, where he’ll discover its purpose. Is it connected to the purple smoke from his big fail? Why is the city, surrounded by the magical, domed Water Shield, so heavily guarded? As Laoch and his twin brother, Leeland, and their friends Nudge (a Meerkat) and Sty (a Bat) make the dangerous journey to the legendary city, their personal transformations surprise themselves and one another. Worldbuilding includes a detail-heavy background of politics, warfare, tradition, and technology as well as a superabundance of capitalized words. Laoch, Leeland, and most of the Lizards in their village are “hybrids”; the twins also have Gecko and Chameleon blood. Marginalized Beings such as Bats are literally given “Other Status.” There’s a pronunciation guide to help with the numerous Irish spellings, but readers will also be forgiven for feeling that a who’s-who chart wouldn’t go amiss. Too many shifting third-person perspectives muddy the story. These include the four main characters and at least five major secondary characters whose roles are unclear. Here’s hoping they get more airtime in Book 2.
A cluttered and confusing start to a new animal-fantasy series. (Fantasy. 8-14)Pub Date: Oct. 9, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-945293-69-6
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Adaptive Books
Review Posted Online: July 15, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2018
Utterly believable, this bittersweet story, complete with an author’s note identifying the real Ivan, will inspire a new...
How Ivan confronts his harrowing past yet stays true to his nature exemplifies everything youngsters need to know about courage.
Living in a "domain" of glass, metal and cement at the Big Top Mall, Ivan sometimes forgets whether to act like a gorilla or a human—except Ivan does not think much of humans. He describes their behavior as frantic, whereas he is a peaceful artist. Fittingly, Ivan narrates his tale in short, image-rich sentences and acute, sometimes humorous, observations that are all the more heartbreaking for their simple delivery. His sorrow is palpable, but he stoically endures the cruelty of humans until Ruby the baby elephant is abused. In a pivotal scene, Ivan finally admits his domain is a cage, and rather than let Ruby live and die in grim circumstances, he promises to save her. In order to express his plea in a painting, Ivan must bravely face buried memories of the lush jungle, his family and their brutal murder, which is recounted in a brief, powerful chapter sure to arouse readers’ passions. In a compelling ending, the more challenging question Applegate poses is whether or not Ivan will remember what it was like to be a gorilla. Spot art captures poignant moments throughout.
Utterly believable, this bittersweet story, complete with an author’s note identifying the real Ivan, will inspire a new generation of advocates. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Jan. 17, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-06-199225-4
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2011
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
A solid series starter for tinkerers and adventurers alike.
Even robot cats have a mind of their own.
All 12-year-old Canadian Lacey Chu’s ever wanted was to become a companioneer like her idol, Monica Chan, co-founder of the largest tech firm in North America, Moncha Corp., and mastermind behind the baku. Bakus, “robotic pets with all the features of a smartphone,” revolutionized society and how people interact with technology. As a companioneer, Lacey could work on bakus: designing, innovating, and building. When she receives a grant rejection from Profectus Academy of Science and Technology, a school that guarantees employment at Moncha Corp., she’s devastated. A happenstance salvaging of a mangled cat baku might just change the game. Suddenly, Lacey’s got an in with Profectus and is one step closer to her dream. Jinx, however, is not quite like the other bakus—he’s a wild cat that does things without commands. Together with Jinx, Lacey will have to navigate competitive classmates and unsettling corporate secrets. McCulloch effectively strikes a balance between worldbuilding and action. High-stakes baku battles demonstrate the emotional bond between (robotic) pet and owner. Readers will also connect to the relationships the Asian girl forges with her diverse classmates, including a rivalry with Carter (a white boy who’s the son of Moncha’s other co-founder, Eric Smith), a burgeoning crush on student Tobias, who’s black, and evolving friendships new and old. While some mysteries are solved, a cliffhanger ending raises even more for the next installment.
A solid series starter for tinkerers and adventurers alike. (Science fiction. 8-13)Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4926-8374-2
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Review Posted Online: Aug. 25, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2019
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