A sequel for existing fans only.
The fateful love story between a teen girl and a boy from the afterlife continues in this follow-up to Ferryman (2021).
Dylan and Tristan crossed over to the land of the living, inhabiting borrowed bodies on borrowed time. Dylan should have died in the train accident that sent her to the wasteland, and Tristan should have kept to his mission there as a ferryman of souls. Now, as Tristan adjusts to modern living and Dylan recovers from her injuries, they discover their actions have dire consequences. Not only did they leave a gap behind that allows wraiths to follow them into the living world, causing havoc wherever they go, but they are also now physically bound to one another, and if they are separated for too long, they will die. Unbeknownst to them both, another ferryman is following Tristan’s and Dylan’s tracks. This time around, the pair’s tale focuses on the very real, very dull world of school, dances, and petty jealousies—in between fighting deadly creatures and the otherworldly forces that wish to keep them apart. The contrast is as stark as the age difference between Dylan and Tristan (she is 15; he has been around for centuries) and as jarring as their love, which is lacking in chemistry. The narrative also follows the more interesting ferryman Susanna as she pines for a different life. Main characters are cued White.
A sequel for existing fans only. (Fantasy. 12-16)Pub Date: Oct. 11, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5362-1846-6
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Walker US/Candlewick
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022
An entertaining fantasy set in a world that readers will want to revisit.
Brie risks the deadly land of the Fae to save her sister.
Brie doesn’t trust many people other than Jas, her eternally hopeful sister, and Sebastian, mage apprentice and Brie’s secret love (as if she had time for romance). Brie struggles to meet the payments for the magical contracts binding their lives to Madame Vivias, supplementing her cleaning work by stealing from the rich. While the land of Faerie tempts other girls with word of a castle, a lavish ball, and a fae prince seeking a wife, Brie mistrusts the creatures who capitalize on humanity’s greed. When Jas’ contract is sold to the fae, Brie braves the golden Seelie queen’s court, meets the noble Prince Ronan, and travels on to the Unseelie king’s shadow court. In the process she discovers love, historical secrets, atrocities, and her own hidden strength. While many elements regarding the fae and a love triangle will feel familiar to fans of the genre, and the magic could have been more fleshed out, discussions of power, inequity, trust, and hope expand the worldbuilding in refreshing ways. Similarly, consideration of the balance between truth and secrets, lies and stories, is intriguing as it’s applied to characters, relationships, and historical lore. Despite certain predictable reveals, the plot itself, which starts off slowly, picks up and is pleasantly convoluted with multiple satisfying surprises. Major human characters read as White.
An entertaining fantasy set in a world that readers will want to revisit. (Fantasy. 13-16)Pub Date: July 20, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-358-38657-5
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A festive story that shows that in the end it’s friends, not followers, who count.
Two social media influencers on either side of the Atlantic decide to switch places to boost followers—and learn some life lessons in the process.
Holly, a 16-year-old Brit, adores Christmas. She sends herself a card in advance every year and makes a 39-point Christmas-decorating list. But all the tinsel in the world won’t improve her mood after a bad boyfriend breakup. Meanwhile, in Alpine Peaks, New Jersey, American Elle is working to increase the following of her new social media account, @OneElleOfATime, and helping her parents with their Christmas tree rental and decoration business while struggling with the stress of yet another move. A challenge from another influencer to take part in a race to be the first to get 15,000 new followers propels the girls to engage in a life swap over Christmas. Holly’s and Elle’s alternating first-person narratives are laugh-out-loud funny. The roller-coaster drama of their lives as they pursue this outrageous adventure while adapting to each other’s cultures, dealing with the stress of finding material to attract followers to their accounts, and meeting cute boys will keep the pages turning. The constant British versus American wordplay threading the narrative will appeal to many and will introduce non-British readers to holiday traditions such as mince pies, Christmas jumpers (sweaters), and pantomime. All main characters present White.
A festive story that shows that in the end it’s friends, not followers, who count. (Romance. 12-16)Pub Date: Nov. 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-72824-897-4
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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