Endearing young heroes drive this diverting, densely-packed otherworldly adventure.
Teens must stop an evasive, powerful villain before he destroys the world in Jernigan’s debut YA fantasy novel, the first in a series.
Fourteen-year-old New Yorker Beatrix Voght has no idea what happened to her beloved foster father. Two years ago, Wendell vanished in Scotland, only to return in an unexplained state of “mental oblivion.” One night, Beatrix, her older brother Ben, and their pal Malik Patel shadow Wendell to Central Park, where he often wanders. Shockingly, Wendell disappears before Beatrix’s eyes. The key to finding him may lie in his old manuscript, which is located somewhere in the basement library at Festermunder Academy, the private school all three kids attend. This is merely the start of a harrowing journey as the teens dodge a faceless, fedora-wearing man pursuing them, and team up with one of Wendell’s colleagues. The manuscript concerns meridians—small black holes that lead to an “alter world.” A diabolical individual called Seraphim wants power over all the meridians to annihilate the kids’ world and everyone in it; thwarting him will require shutting down the prime meridian, which isn’t as easy as it sounds. Jernigan delivers a sharply-written, increasingly complex story with plentiful plot turns and genre trademarks. Before things get too convoluted, readers meet an endearing cast: Beatrix, who suffers school bullies; Ben, a lovable, loyal brother; and Malik, whose incessant talking, despite annoying the other characters, is a sheer delight. The meridians spark scenes of hefty exposition, though mystery lingers as people tend to withhold certain details from Beatrix. The settings pop, from a recognizable London to such strange places as an empty, “fog-covered” other world. Although a few answers to the mysteries emerge, this intricate tale needs a sequel or two to wrap things up.
Endearing young heroes drive this diverting, densely-packed otherworldly adventure.Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2024
ISBN: 9781038308757
Page Count: 336
Publisher: FriesenPress
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2024
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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