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
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in.
Black is back with another dark tale of Faerie, this one set in Faerie and launching a new trilogy.
Jude—broken, rebuilt, fueled by anger and a sense of powerlessness—has never recovered from watching her adoptive Faerie father murder her parents. Human Jude (whose brown hair curls and whose skin color is never described) both hates and loves Madoc, whose murderous nature is true to his Faerie self and who in his way loves her. Brought up among the Gentry, Jude has never felt at ease, but after a decade, Faerie has become her home despite the constant peril. Black’s latest looks at nature and nurture and spins a tale of court intrigue, bloodshed, and a truly messed-up relationship that might be the saving of Jude and the titular prince, who, like Jude, has been shaped by the cruelties of others. Fierce and observant Jude is utterly unaware of the currents that swirl around her. She fights, plots, even murders enemies, but she must also navigate her relationship with her complex family (human, Faerie, and mixed). This is a heady blend of Faerie lore, high fantasy, and high school drama, dripping with description that brings the dangerous but tempting world of Faerie to life.
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in. (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-316-31027-7
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Sept. 25, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2017
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