Readers will find this journey back to contentment both fully believable and emotionally resonant.
This is another sad book with a dog on the cover—but it isn’t a story about a dog.
Veronica faces a couple of major challenges at the beginning of sixth grade. One is that she has chosen to attend a private, all-girls day school in New York City, where she lives with her psychiatrist parents. She hasn’t had much success socially, and Randolf doesn’t look like a promising opportunity to up her friend count—currently a total of just one, and she’s a far-from-satisfactory companion. The other problem is that she would do just about anything to become the owner of a beagle for sale at a local pet store. When a pair of popular girls begins to take a mild interest in her and her parents buy the beloved puppy, it seems that all will be well. But things quickly fall apart: The girls are manipulative and self-focused, and her puppy has a congenital disease. Veronica’s deep, unrelenting grief is vividly portrayed, along with her bumbling but kindly parents’ efforts to redirect her back to happiness. In sharp contrast to the sad themes that permeate this quiet tale, a strong vein of humor—springing mainly from Veronica’s often ironic and feisty attitude—relieves the raw suffering without undermining its power.
Readers will find this journey back to contentment both fully believable and emotionally resonant. (Fiction. 9-13)Pub Date: Oct. 14, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-374-30039-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
An intriguing, fast-paced fantasy adventure.
A Korean American tween unlocks hidden magical powers to fulfill her destiny and save her family from a vengeful ancient spirit.
Twelve-year-old Lia Park aspires to one day work at the International Magic Agency, fighting monsters and protecting the world. But Lia’s unsure about her future because, unlike best friend Joon, she hasn’t yet manifested any magical abilities. Before she can take the annual entrance exam for the IMA school, her skills are unexpectedly tested when she discovers her California home ransacked and her parents missing. A message to bring Gaya the missing jewel in exchange for her parents leaves her confused and bewildered: She has no idea who Gaya is or what jewel the kidnapper is talking about. Following clues left by her parents, Lia travels with Joon to Korea to find the jewel that will save her family. While motivated to solve the mystery, Lia also becomes frustrated that her parents’ overprotectiveness kept her from knowing the truth about her powers and the threat Gaya poses. Tense scenes set up the high stakes involved in her quest. This contemporary tale incorporates Korean history, national landmarks, and mythology in an engaging way. Korean words and phrases are also woven throughout the text, reinforcing Lia’s connection to her culture and its integral role in the story.
An intriguing, fast-paced fantasy adventure. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: May 3, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5344-8793-2
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: April 12, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
A richly atmospheric page-turner—readers will eagerly anticipate the forthcoming sequel.
Young Seren Rhys stands on the cusp of a new life. Unfortunately for her, the train to her new life is late.
Following the death of her aunt, who saved her from her 12-year stay at the orphanage, she receives word that her godfather, Capt. Arthur Jones, will take her in. Seren spends her wait dreaming of the Jones family and their surely bustling, welcoming manor, Plas-y-Fran in Wales. An encounter with a mysterious man and his more mysterious wrapped parcel (containing the eponymous mechanical bird) leaves Seren reeling, and the mysteries multiply when she arrives at Plas-y-Fran. The place is shuttered and cold, nearly deserted but for a few fearful, oppressively unforthcoming servants. The captain and his wife are away; of their young son, Tomos, there is neither sign nor sound. With the Crow as her only, if reluctant, ally, Seren soon finds herself enmeshed in mayhem and magic that may prove lethal. In her characteristic style, Fisher crafts an elaborate fantasy from deceptively simple language. Seren is a sharp, saucy narrator whose constant puzzlement at others’ consternation over her impertinence provides running amusement. Supporting characters are fascinating if ambiguous players, not so much poorly drawn as poorly revealed, perhaps casualties of the quick pace. The deadened manor, however, provides the perfect backdrop for preternatural forces. Characters are presumed white.
A richly atmospheric page-turner—readers will eagerly anticipate the forthcoming sequel. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: Sept. 8, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5362-1491-8
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Walker US/Candlewick
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2020
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