A realistic, sobering conclusion to the battle between one girl and a looming, Atwood-ian society.
Wanted as a terrorist, Avie works to save herself and the ones she loves without giving in to the vicious Paternalists.
After the horrific shootout in Salvation, Idaho, Avie and Luke are on the run, leaving Yates to recover from his wounds. They hide in plain sight, masquerading as a married couple and altering their appearances. Meanwhile, every news bulletin and magazine display Avie’s face and the promise of a massive reward for her return to her betrothed, politician Jessop Hawkins. Luke leads them to Laramie, Wyoming, enlisting the help of a friend of his father’s he hopes will aid them in delivering damning evidence against the Paternalist Party to Washington, D.C. But Avie senses something off about this new acquaintance, and her fears soon prove well-founded. Suddenly their road to revolution veers off course, and Avie finds herself trapped, able to help her friends only if she sells her own beliefs down the river, along with any hope of being with Yates again. Avie and Luke’s travels are rich with immersive, chilling atmosphere, quirky allies, and conniving townspeople. The middle lags as the struggle shifts inward to Avie’s internal turmoil and away from direct action. But the arduous march toward ending the brutality of the Paternalist Party will keep readers turning pages long into the night.
A realistic, sobering conclusion to the battle between one girl and a looming, Atwood-ian society. (Dystopian romance. 14-18)Pub Date: June 23, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-250-06867-5
Page Count: 320
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Review Posted Online: March 31, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A cosmically compelling read.
In Petrus’ bewitching debut, Aquarius meets Scorpio and contemplates what comes next.
Audre has found religion in the form of Neri, the pastor’s granddaughter, much to the chagrin of her religious mother. Sent from Trinidad to Minneapolis to live with her father, Audre is afraid of leaving her beloved grandmother, being cut off from her home culture, and starting over in a new country. Meanwhile, fascinated with Whitney Houston and the singer’s supposed romance with a female friend, Mabel is attempting to fit the pieces of her sexuality together. Although she’s been feeling sick, she agrees to entertain her father’s friend’s newly arrived daughter, and Audre and Mabel grow close over the summer. As the school year ramps up, Mabel can no longer ignore her chronic fatigue and pain and must grapple with life-altering news. She finds comfort in reading an old book of her parents’, learning about astrology, and seeking Audre’s healing presence. Audre’s voice is lyrical, and readers will practically hear her Trinidadian accent as she overcomes her fears and self-doubt. Through a nonlinear storyline and two secondary characters, Afua and Queenie, the author beautifully interjects elements of magical realism while delving into the complexities of spirituality. Readers seeking a deep, uplifting love story will not be disappointed as the novel covers both flourishing feelings and bigger questions around belief and what happens when we face our own mortality. Main characters are black.
Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-5255-5548-3
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: June 9, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2019
An engrossing sequel that highlights the nuances of being a performer and living across cultures.
After her shocking exposé of injustices in the K-pop industry, will Candace Park get a chance to change things from the inside?
Korean American Candace went from K-pop trainee to #KPopWarrior overnight after speaking out about serious, deep-rooted issues in the industry. In this follow-up to K-Pop Confidential (2020), she debuts as a K-pop idol in S.A.Y. Entertainment’s first ever all-girl group, THE GIRLS. Candace’s dream is now her reality, albeit with a rocky start. The company seems to be making sweeping changes, from hiring their first female CEO to removing dieting restrictions. Next, Candace enrolls in Brandt Foreign School for her junior year of high school, where she makes friends with YoonJoo, who is Black Korean, and Summer, who is Korean American. Trying to balance school, being an idol, and her relationship with boyfriend YoungBae takes a major toll on Candace. The seemingly perfect overhaul of S.A.Y. starts to show cracks as the new CEO repeats some unhealthy past practices that place pressure on music stars. Lee keeps readers on their toes throughout the book by creatively weaving in themes of teenage stresses, mental health, balancing multiple cultures, and staying true to oneself while presenting a curated image to the outside world. Some secondary characters are queer. Readers will benefit from having read the previous volume in order to better understand certain character arcs.
An engrossing sequel that highlights the nuances of being a performer and living across cultures. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: April 5, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-338-75113-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Point/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
