Never terribly fraught or demanding, but with a twisty plot and death-defying action, this romance delivers teen yearning...
Rileigh, or Senshi as she was once known, is a sassy high school girl in love with her boyfriend, Kim. It just so happens that her relationship with Kim has spanned 500 years—Rileigh is a powerful, reincarnated samurai warrior.
What begins as a date with the love of Rileigh’s many lives suddenly turns into a booty-kicking battle against ninjas. Next, Rileigh’s samurai nemesis, Whitley, whom she left for dead in the last book, Katana (2012), starts lurking around. Moreover, her friends seem to be in the grip of sinister mind control as Rileigh finds herself having to fight off surprise ninja attacks at every turn. But the real tragedy is that Kim suddenly dumps her for his thought-to-be-dead betrothed from the 1400s. Riding the subplot of teen romance, the story’s forward motion occasionally gets bogged down by repetition. Most interesting are the infrequent flashback chapters of Senshi in Japan when she’s on the verge of becoming a 15th-century courtesan. Eventually, the mastermind behind the havoc is discovered, and Rileigh must join forces with friends she thought foes and foes she thought friends in order to destroy the villain and save her life and her love.
Never terribly fraught or demanding, but with a twisty plot and death-defying action, this romance delivers teen yearning with martial arts kicks. (Paranormal romance. 12 & up)Pub Date: March 8, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-7387-3261-9
Page Count: 408
Publisher: Flux
Review Posted Online: Jan. 15, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2013
An intimate portrait of female friendship laced with literal and metaphorical magic.
Getting through high school requires more than a little bit of magic.
On prom night, when Alexis accidentally kills Josh Harper, she panics and summons her five best friends—Paulie, Roya, Iris, Marcelina, and Maryam—for help. Alexis knows she can rely on them, not only because of their unshakeable friendship, but because of what they have in common: the ability to do magic. Attempting to make things right, the girls cast a spell but are left with a disconnected collection of Josh’s body parts, including a cold, glassy version of his heart. They divide them up and agree to dispose of what is left of Josh, piece by piece. Alexis insists on witnessing each body-part-releasing ceremony, in the process exploring her bonds with her friends—and, in one case, feelings that go far beyond friendship. But as their relationships strengthen, the spell takes its toll: Every time they lose a body part, the girls lose something too, forcing them to rethink how they define themselves and each other. This work of speculative fiction is a profoundly thoughtful exploration of female friendship, love, growth, and identity. The fully realized characters are diverse in ethnicity, sexuality, and gender identity. While the final two-thirds of the book are beautifully paced, balancing introspection and character development with plot, the first third at times feels weighed down by explanation and backstory.
Pub Date: March 3, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5344-3287-1
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Dec. 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
An action-packed story expanding the world of women pirates.
An “assassin among pirates” embarks on a mysterious, thrilling recovery mission.
In this stand-alone companion to the Daughter of the Pirate King duology, Queen Alosa asks 18-year-old dark-brown-skinned Sorinda to lead search efforts for a missing vessel in uncharted waters north of the Seventeen Isles. “I’m not who you send to save people,” reflects the austere assassin to herself in hopes that the request will prove to be a playful ruse. Though the queen’s invitation seems in conflict with her hitwoman duties, Sorinda accepts the risky endeavor and subsequently receives an accompanying crew peppered with familiar faces. Kearan—an excellent sailor tasked by the queen to assist Sorinda—is someone she would prefer to evade despite his desire to forge a reconnection. Once the expedition is underway, the voyage slowly grows into an adventurous rumpus, beginning with eerie disappearances and a gripping sea battle that forces Sorinda and her crew to prepare for whatever or whoever is lurking in the treacherous seas. Themes of vulnerability and self-possession dominate the story as the guarded protagonist—usually cloaked in secrecy—steadily reveals more of herself. Seemingly inspired by the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise, Levenseller largely captures a similar blend of humor, fantasy, romance, and action. The defining difference here—a focus on women characters—is a fine attribute.
An action-packed story expanding the world of women pirates. (chapter annotated by the author) (Adventure. 13-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9781250864970
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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