An appealing, superpowered adolescent hero headlines this playful, mythologically rich tale.
Winter’s YA fantasy novel follows a girl who, on a distant-future Earth of magic and mythical beings, struggles to discover who she is.
Catkin White Willow, raised by doting foster parents, knows very little about her past. Her father, Mr. Polestar, found her as an abandoned toddler in a nest of white willow catkins by a burned-down cabin, her likely home. The nubs on her scalp (sprouting horns) mean she’s a chimera; she just doesn’t know what kind she is: “Will I become an animal with fur or feathers or hooves?” (Long ago, in an event known as the Tectonic Catastrophe, Earth’s drifting landmasses formed one giant continent, mingling humans with beings from ancient mythologies.) Catkin has the magical skill of folding space, allowing her to travel instantly to another place. As some may want to steal that magic, Dr. Bea Allgood offers to take in the nearly-13-year-old; she’ll be relatively safe on Atlantis, one of the planet’s few remaining islands. It’s guarded by a White Dragon, though that doesn’t prevent various menaces from finding their way there. Winter’s delightful fusion of mythologies generates a vibrant cast and settings. Catkin has run-ins with trolls, gets tutored by the Nine Muses, and visits Mount Olympus, which is now under a “grassy hump.” Much of the narrative centers around Catkin diving into her origins. With so many resourceful and sometimes powerful allies on her side, along with her own magical ability, Catkin isn’t in danger very often, but the affable teen navigates a few entertaining subplots—including wrangling with an unexpectedly charming troll thief, befriending a “ghost hound,” and nosing into someone else’s romance (with good intentions). While the novel ends with a satisfying resolution, there’s plenty of material here for any number of spinoffs or sequels.
An appealing, superpowered adolescent hero headlines this playful, mythologically rich tale.Pub Date: April 22, 1925
ISBN: 9798992558234
Page Count: 214
Publisher: Barnes and Noble Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.
The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.
Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798987380406
Page Count: 538
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
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