A solid conclusion to a story with many spinning parts.
In this duology closer, heroes from The Devouring Gray(2019) must end the Gray and the Beast for good.
May seeks to restore her family’s sacred hawthorn tree, damaged when Harper lashed out at them, as she chafes against her complicated relationship with her mother. Meanwhile, Harper needs to learn to control her powers (and decide who to side with in the town’s conflicts). Violet and Isaac have teamed up on a research project to destroy the Beast once and for all—which is complicated by the return of Isaac’s last surviving brother (forcing him to face what happened the night of his ritual). And the Beast isn’t the only problem: A sinister corruption leaks from the Gray, infecting townspeople. The founders must unravel their ancestors’ secrets—the nature of the magic and the Beast—in order to fulfill their responsibilities. Reveals and surprises make up for an occasionally dragging pace. The romantic entanglements form an elaborate love quadrangle: Bisexual Violet has a crush on bisexual Isaac, who is in love with Justin, who loves Harper, who still has feelings for him despite their fraught-with-betrayal past (while, in their parents’ generation, Justin’s and Violet’s mothers—Augusta and Juniper, respectively—dated in high school). However, the relationships are given depth and nuance, especially when the characters work through familial, unreciprocated, or unequal feelings. Characters default to white.
A solid conclusion to a story with many spinning parts. (Paranormal/horror. 12-adult)Pub Date: April 21, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-368-02527-0
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion/LBYR
Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
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
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and...
A deliciously creepy page-turning gem from first-time writer and illustrator Brosgol finds brooding teenager Anya trying to escape the past—both her own and the ghost haunting her.
Anya feels out of place at her preppy private school; embarrassed by her Russian heritage, she has worked hard to lose her accent and to look more like everyone else. After a particularly frustrating morning at the bus stop, Anya storms off, only to accidentally fall down a well. Down in the dark hole, she meets Emily, a ghost who claims to be a murder victim trapped down in the dank abyss for 90 years. With Emily’s help, Anya manages to escape, though once free, she learns that Emily has traveled out with her. At first, Emily seems like the perfect friend; however, once her motives become clear, Anya learns that “perfect” may only be an illusion. A moodily atmospheric spectrum of grays washes over the clean, tidy panels, setting a distinct stage before the first words appear. Brosgol’s tight storytelling invokes the chilling feeling of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline (2002), though for a decidedly older set.
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and outward appearance. (Graphic supernatural fiction. 12 & up)Pub Date: June 7, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-59643-552-0
Page Count: 224
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: April 18, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2011
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