Engaging from the very first page, this is one work of historical fiction that will have even readers who prefer fantasy...
The nature of luck, fortune and fate is dissected and reexamined over the course of this outstanding novel.
Born with only one ear, Luc considers his lot in life distinctly unlucky. His father hates him, seemingly without reason, so when the chance arises to apprentice with a local fisherman, the boy leaps at it. Living with the fisherman’s family he grows close to their ward, the beautiful Beatrice, and things seem to be looking up… until he’s kidnapped by pirates and sold to a Tunisian in North Africa. While Luc receives an education from his learned master, Beatrice looks into Luc’s past and discovers that he is the discarded son of a particularly vicious count. Though the plot falls into familiar territory—a hero discovers his true parentage—Leeds sets the book up as more of a historical conspiracy tale. Indeed, Beatrice’s attempts to unravel the truth reveal the dead count’s vast cover-up, unknown to even Luc's brother. Leeds writes delicately, fleshing out each character as a fully realized human being. Set in 15th-century France and Tunisia, the book is also meticulously researched, throwing readers into a past that feels fresh and new.
Engaging from the very first page, this is one work of historical fiction that will have even readers who prefer fantasy clamoring for a sequel. (Historical fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: June 14, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-670-01398-2
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: April 3, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
Toning down the edgy side for a young market, Krovatin stills provides moments of gross-out gore in this reluctant-reader...
SAT words and occult trappings characterize this middle-grade zombie adventure from teen author Krovatin (Venomous, 2008).
On an electronics-free school trip to the Montana wilderness, sixth graders Ian Buckley, PJ Wilson and Kendra Wright quickly break the first rule, straying off the path and into the forest. Separated from their classmates, the trio is relieved to stumble across a cabin in the woods, until they discover a skull in the basement and a mysterious journal that tells of shadows in the forest—and, of course, zombies start beating on the front door. With the journal in hand, the three kids begin hunting for the witch they believe controls the creatures and their fate. Though the story is told from the three kids' alternating points of view, the voices all have the same flavor and would be unidentifiable if not for the chapter headings. There’s simply not enough personality behind the three 11-year-old protagonists to make a distinction. Describing a wall as "infected" and introducing words like "ideating" and "sigil" (Kendra is building her vocabulary) jar just enough to break the otherwise compelling pace. Indistinct voices and questionable word choices aside, the author does manage to keep the pages turning all the way through the end.
Toning down the edgy side for a young market, Krovatin stills provides moments of gross-out gore in this reluctant-reader pleaser. (Adventure. 10-12)Pub Date: Sept. 11, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-06-207740-0
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: April 17, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2012
The boys’ exaggerated escapades make for an appealing read-aloud as well as a successful summer read.
On the first day of vacation, when rising sixth-grader Hunter Moran intercepts a phone call he interprets as a bomb plot, he sets out with his twin brother, Zack, to save the town of Newfield.
With imaginations fueled by TV shows, Hunter and Zack weave various bits of evidence into an elaborate hypothesis about the nefarious activities of the dentist down the street. As middle children in a large, active family, their investigations are hampered by the watchful eyes of an older brother and sister and the constant attention of their tag-along 5-year-old brother, Steadman. Hunter’s brash first-person voice is convincing. He’s barely aware of the improbable trail of destruction he and his brothers leave behind. In the four days leading up to the Tinwitty Night celebration, they find themselves stranded next door on the slate roof of St. Ursula’s church, covered with the contents of Vinny Moochmore’s compost pile and trapped inside the great iron soup kettle in the town center. All this occurs before Hunter’s climactic balloon ride. Cell phones and laptops are part of their modern world, but the children’s freedom to investigate the mystery of Dr. Diglio’s buried box is reminiscent of earlier, less-supervised times and traditional small-town life.
The boys’ exaggerated escapades make for an appealing read-aloud as well as a successful summer read. (Fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8234-1949-4
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: April 17, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2012
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
