Sharply drawn teen emotions outshine well-trod fantasy elements in this YA debut.
A teen loner discovers a world of magic filled with friends and enemies in this YA fantasy debut.
Sixteen-year-old Corbin White is on a train bound for Pennsylvania. His distant but domineering father, a military officer, has pulled him from military school to live with Uncle Jerry in Burke, Pennsylvania. Corbin takes the attic bedroom and resumes having nightmares featuring dark humanoid silhouettes and an “evil presence” dragging him underwater. Later, at a student assembly in school, he sees one of the silhouettes and knows “things are only going to get worse.” Corbin begins taking refuge in the school library. In a copy of Treasure Island, he finds a note from someone named Jacob asking to meet at the tennis courts. Jacob tells Corbin that he saw him choose the book in a dream and that they are members of a special group called “cigans.” They can see and manipulate elemental “mana” in a hidden energy field. Corbin soon joins Jacob’s group and prepares for battle against the shadowy “stalkers” and another group called the “sciran,” who feed on mana. He’s eager to belong, but is the situation as black and white as it seems? Buechele gives his YA debut mystery by framing the book as Corbin’s journal, and several pages have been “ripped out” in key passages. While the narrative establishes magical rules, including that stalkers can’t follow the heroes on roads, such worldbuilding often takes a dramatic back seat to the teenage dynamics of fitting in (or suddenly not) and shaping identity. Joining the wrestling team and caring for the dog Cosmo give Corbin agency. The slow-burning romance with Jamie, Jacob’s sister, takes a unique turn when he reveals, “I know I don’t like guys. But I’ve never been interested in girls either.” An additional mystery gooses the plot’s second half. Corbin’s potential for both good and evil primes fans for a rewarding sequel.
Sharply drawn teen emotions outshine well-trod fantasy elements in this YA debut.Pub Date: May 14, 2021
ISBN: 979-8-7120-6737-4
Page Count: 345
Publisher: Independently Published
Review Posted Online: Dec. 18, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2022
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
© 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.
