A robust plot and worldbuilding makes for an engaging, atmospheric read.
The residents of Weymouth Island have a secret.
Hidden off the coast of Nova Scotia, their island is a gateway between the living and the dead. Roughly every decade, the Storm comes, bringing the dead up from the ocean. They’re drawn to the foundation stones of each of the eleven houses of the island’s families: Cabot, Beuvry, McLeod, Gillis, Nickerson, Pope, Pelletier, Des Roches, Bodhmall, Grimes, and Mintus. The dead attempt to reach the mainland, but the family members prepare by laying traps. Seventeen-year-old Mabel Beuvry knows the Storm’s danger; the last one killed her father. Her mother turned to alcohol, and her younger sister became agoraphobic. Now, Mabel and her House Guardian, Jeff, care for their estate. The arrival of Miles Cabot is a bright spot—he and Mabel feel an instant, almost mystical, connection. But the island’s inhabitants fear their attachment, blaming Miles for changes they sense, and rumors swirl of an impending Great Storm. Oakes’ swoony, gothic tale blending elements of White Walkers and The Fog features an original history that vividly breathes life into Weymouth. Historical journal entries explain the island’s rituals and beliefs, and a surprise twist and action-packed fight scenes against the dead keep the suspense alive. Most characters are white, the Nickersons are the island’s only Black family, and Miles is described as having generically “Asian heritage.”
A robust plot and worldbuilding makes for an engaging, atmospheric read. (map, list of Storm years, list of houses) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 22, 2024
ISBN: 9781665952583
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
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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