Galante’s penned a poignant tale of self-discovery.
Sixth-grader Wren is besieged with worry.
After her mother’s hospitalization for a breakdown, Wren and her little brother must stay with their aunt and cousin for a few weeks. Only recently acquainted with them, Wren feels uncertain and slightly in awe of her popular cousin, Silver. The transition also increases Wren’s concern for her 8-year-old brother, Russell, who has Asperger’s syndrome. Although struggling in the aftermath of her mother’s abrupt departure, Wren initially identifies with her mother emotionally, asserting that they are both worriers. However, Wren’s increasing dissatisfaction with the incessant worrying evolves into a yearning to be braver than she often feels. Living with Aunt Marianne and Silver exposes Wren to a more free-spirited outlook on life, encouraging her to expand her self-imposed boundaries. Through her deepening friendship with Silver, Wren discovers her inner resilience. Galante’s compassionate portrayal of Wren reveals a child coping with a mother’s long-term depression, a caring, responsible sister who demonstrates a mature understanding of her brother, and a young girl endeavoring to manage her own anxieties. Unifying the tale is the mystery that surrounds Creeper Mountain’s reclusive inhabitant, Witch Weatherly. When Silver decides to seek out the truth about the legendary recluse, Wren reluctantly participates. After a serious accident occurs during their mountain excursion to find Witch Weatherly, Wren must decide if she has the fortitude to persevere despite her worries.
Galante’s penned a poignant tale of self-discovery. (Fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: June 28, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-545-84845-9
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 15, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2016
Rich and strange (and kitted out with an eye-catching cover), but stronger in the set pieces than the internal logic.
Chainani works an elaborate sea change akin to Gregory Maguire’s Wicked (1995), though he leaves the waters muddied.
Every four years, two children, one regarded as particularly nice and the other particularly nasty, are snatched from the village of Gavaldon by the shadowy School Master to attend the divided titular school. Those who survive to graduate become major or minor characters in fairy tales. When it happens to sweet, Disney princess–like Sophie and her friend Agatha, plain of features, sour of disposition and low of self-esteem, they are both horrified to discover that they’ve been dropped not where they expect but at Evil and at Good respectively. Gradually—too gradually, as the author strings out hundreds of pages of Hogwarts-style pranks, classroom mishaps and competitions both academic and romantic—it becomes clear that the placement wasn’t a mistake at all. Growing into their true natures amid revelations and marked physical changes, the two spark escalating rivalry between the wings of the school. This leads up to a vicious climactic fight that sees Good and Evil repeatedly switching sides. At this point, readers are likely to feel suddenly left behind, as, thanks to summary deus ex machina resolutions, everything turns out swell(ish).
Rich and strange (and kitted out with an eye-catching cover), but stronger in the set pieces than the internal logic. (Fantasy. 11-13)Pub Date: May 14, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-06-210489-2
Page Count: 496
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2013
BOOK TO SCREEN
An adventurous work whose authentic voice celebrates the outdoors and everyday heroism.
A summer spent summiting the Adirondacks allows a teenager to reckon with grief.
Thirteen-year-old Finn Connelly’s summer is off to a rocky start. In addition to several incomplete class assignments—including a poetry project about heroes—he’s facing vandalism charges after an angry outburst at the local cemetery. To avoid paying thousands in fines that his family can’t spare, he reluctantly agrees to the proffered alternative: climbing all 46 Adirondack peaks over 4,000 feet by Labor Day accompanied by Seymour, the enthusiastic dog who belonged to the woman whose headstone he damaged. As Finn attempts the hikes, he wrestles with what it means to be a hero, a term often used for his deceased father, a local hockey legend, New York City firefighter, 9/11 first responder, and paramedic who died on the front lines of the Covid-19 pandemic. This verse novel is engaging and easy to follow. It encompasses varied structures, like haiku, sonnet, and found poetry. Other ephemera, such as letters, recipes, and school progress reports, create visual breaks evocative of a commonplace book. The first-person narration vividly conveys a disgruntled teenager’s feelings, including moments of humor and contemplation. The novel wrestles with loss and legacy intertwined with weighty events, challenges, and themes—PTSD, alcoholism, toxic masculinity—and their resulting impact on Finn’s emotional well-being. The supporting characters are encouraging adult role models. Characters present white.
An adventurous work whose authentic voice celebrates the outdoors and everyday heroism. (author’s note) (Verse fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: April 29, 2025
ISBN: 9781547616398
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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