A sometimes-wooden but mostly entertaining friendship tale with elements of horror and suspense.
Three high schoolers attempt to understand the death of their friend in this YA paranormal thriller.
Jared Smith was popular among his classmates, from the moment he moved to town in the second grade right up until the summer before his senior year. Then things changed: “On the first day back to school, Jared was noticeably different from his usual friendly, outgoing self. He was moody and withdrawn. He shunned people and avoided the social circle he’d once been a prominent member of. In fact, he acted as if he didn’t want friends at all.” It is those unwanted friends—especially the trio of Conner Preston, Adam Wheeler, and Trevor Helms—who are most thrown when they learn, a few months into the school year, that the recently expelled Jared is dead. Their confusion is deepened when they learn that Jared’s family, which has just left town, believes he died as a result of being possessed by the devil. The story quickly spreads, and soon competing teams of paranormal investigators arrive in town to cover the possession. The three boys are anxious to clear Jared’s name and get to the bottom of his mysterious death, but to do so, they’ll have to confront the week they spent with their pal in a lakeside cabin the previous summer. In other words, the week they stopped being friends. The novel’s premise is a strong one, and Renna’s depiction of the teenage characters—particularly the ways they bristle against the perceived expectations of adults—is well executed. Unfortunately, there’s a stiffness to the prose that often flattens the players and their dialogue: “Hailey Brooks headed their direction with her constant companion, Jasmine, and another friend of theirs, Miguel. All smiles and shining, shoulder-length blonde hair, she was one of the prettiest girls in the senior class. Sitting, Hailey purred, ‘Hey, boys.’ ” The tale marries classic tropes of the exorcism genre with heartfelt issues of adolescence, which provide the story with an unexpected emotional depth. There are clichéd or saccharine moments that temporarily break the spell, but overall the book delivers on the promises of the setup.
A sometimes-wooden but mostly entertaining friendship tale with elements of horror and suspense.Pub Date: April 15, 2021
ISBN: 979-8-73-859799-2
Page Count: 300
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: May 12, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations.
Magic, mystery, and love intertwine and invite in this newest take on the “enchanted circus” trope.
Sisters raised by their abusive father, a governor of a colonial backwater in a world vaguely reminiscent of the late 18th century, Scarlett and Donatella each long for something more. Scarlett, olive-skinned, dark of hair and attitude, longs for Caraval, the fabled, magical circus helmed by the possibly evil Master Legend Santos, while blonde, sunny Tella finds comfort in drink and the embraces of various men. A slightly awkward start, with inconsistencies of attitude and setting, rapidly smooths out when they, along with handsome “golden-brown” sailor Julian, flee to Caraval on the eve of Scarlett’s arranged marriage. Tella disappears, and Scarlett must navigate a nighttime world of magic to find her. Caraval delights the senses: beautiful and scary, described in luscious prose, this is a show readers will wish they could enter. Dresses can be purchased for secrets or days of life; clocks can become doors; bridges move: this is an inventive and original circus, laced with an edge of horror. A double love story, one sensual romance and the other sisterly loyalty, anchors the plot, but the real star here is Caraval and its secrets.
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations. (Fantasy. 14 & up)Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-250-09525-1
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A lushly written story with an intriguing heart.
After praying to a Fate for help, Evangeline discovers the dangerous world of magic.
When her father passes away, Evangeline is left with her cold stepmother and kind but distant stepsister, Marisol. Despite inheriting a steady trust in magic, belief in her late mother’s homeland of the mystical North (where fantastical creatures live), and philosophy of hope for the future, her dreams are dashed when Luc, her love, pledges to marry Marisol instead. Evangeline desperately prays to the Prince of Hearts, a dangerous and fickle Fate famed for his heart that is waiting to be revived by his one true love—and his potentially lethal kisses. The bargain they strike sends her on a dark and magical journey throughout the land. The writing style fluctuates from clever and original to overly verbose and often confusing in its jumble of senses. While the pervasive magic and concept of the Fates as a religious system add interest, other fantasy elements are haphazardly incorporated without enough time devoted to building a cohesive world. However, the themes of love, the power of story, family influence, and holding onto belief are well rounded and add depth. The plot contains welcome surprises, and the large cast piques curiosity; readers will wish more time was spent getting to know them. Evangeline has rose-gold hair and, like other main characters, reads as White; there is diversity among the fantasy races in this world.
A lushly written story with an intriguing heart. (map) (Fantasy. 12-16)Pub Date: Sept. 28, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-26839-6
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
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