An intriguing setup, with execution that falls flat.
In a world haunted by ghosts and ravaged by climate change, 17-year-old Persephone Green has always related more to the dead than the living.
Persephone and her mother have lived in six houses in three years, always running from something. The only constants in Persephone’s life are her contentious relationship with her mother, her status as a social outcast, and the mysterious paranormal abilities she calls her “party trick.” But everything changes when Persephone meets two strangers: a man seeking to right a long-standing wrong and a boy named Bas to whom she feels an unusual connection. When a trip to the school nurse reveals that Persephone doesn’t have a heartbeat, she’s left reeling—and only Bas seems to have any answers. Together, the two uncover both a conspiracy and the truth about themselves. Combining science fiction, paranormal, fantasy, dystopian, and mythological elements, the premise of Prith’s YA debut is enticing. But the book is unfortunately slowed down by the repetitive nature of the prose. The relationship between Bas and Persephone, who present white, is the strongest point, forming the heart of the story. The two have an interesting dynamic, but the dynamic of the mystery surrounding it isn’t fully explained. Relationships among other characters often feel underdeveloped or rushed, and some plotlines are confusing.
An intriguing setup, with execution that falls flat. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: July 7, 2026
ISBN: 9781454963868
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Union Square & Co.
Review Posted Online: April 6, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2026
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
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations.
Magic, mystery, and love intertwine and invite in this newest take on the “enchanted circus” trope.
Sisters raised by their abusive father, a governor of a colonial backwater in a world vaguely reminiscent of the late 18th century, Scarlett and Donatella each long for something more. Scarlett, olive-skinned, dark of hair and attitude, longs for Caraval, the fabled, magical circus helmed by the possibly evil Master Legend Santos, while blonde, sunny Tella finds comfort in drink and the embraces of various men. A slightly awkward start, with inconsistencies of attitude and setting, rapidly smooths out when they, along with handsome “golden-brown” sailor Julian, flee to Caraval on the eve of Scarlett’s arranged marriage. Tella disappears, and Scarlett must navigate a nighttime world of magic to find her. Caraval delights the senses: beautiful and scary, described in luscious prose, this is a show readers will wish they could enter. Dresses can be purchased for secrets or days of life; clocks can become doors; bridges move: this is an inventive and original circus, laced with an edge of horror. A double love story, one sensual romance and the other sisterly loyalty, anchors the plot, but the real star here is Caraval and its secrets.
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations. (Fantasy. 14 & up)Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-250-09525-1
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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