An imaginative take on the teen-vampire trope with plenty of action and romance and a compelling antihero.
In Kelly’s novel, a vampire hunts for treasure on a haunted island in a desperate attempt to protect herself from those who want her dead.
Lola Monteux may look 16 years old, but she’s far from it. A vampire on the run from her old comrades, she lands on Duchesne Island in search of the Well of Souls treasure—rumored to grant invincibility to its possessor. In her attempt to locate the treasure, Lola meets Gael Smith, a teenage boy whose family is struggling to make ends meet amid his younger brother’s cancer diagnosis. His ancestor originally discovered the famed Duchesne Island treasure, but Lola soon convinces Gael that more riches must be buried deeper beneath the “treasure tree” on his property. The two embark on a secretive dig, despite the prying eyes of the suspicious Captain Greyson. Complications soon arise, both with the arrival of Lola’s vampire frenemies and their entering into an uneasy (and temporary) truce and by Lola’s growing romantic feelings for Gael. As her old humanity starts to present cracks in her soulless-vampire facade, Lola will be forced to make a choice between what she is and who she wants to be. Kelly manages to imbue Lola with the lofty air of an old vampire and the surliness of a teenager in equal measure—an unlikely combination that will surely endear her to readers. In a YA paranormal/supernatural genre that can be overcrowded, Kelly includes enough unique details—such as Lola’s surprising skin care routine—to differentiate this book from the vampire-novel rabble: “She’d mainly brought skin products: rich creams and serums designed to keep this body youthful. It was essential to keep up proper skincare when your skin was always on the verge of rotting off…Her regime of creams helped smooth her skin, but nothing healed like human blood.” The romance subplot will come as a surprise to absolutely no one but should satisfy YA audiences nonetheless.
An imaginative take on the teen-vampire trope with plenty of action and romance and a compelling antihero.Pub Date: Dec. 25, 2023
ISBN: 978-1738863365
Page Count: 282
Publisher: ISBN CANADA
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.
The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.
Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798987380406
Page Count: 538
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
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
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