A well-imagined premise with a flat narrative arc.
In Henderson’s (Branded, 2011) YA novel, an unhappy, insecure 16-year-old meets a pair of “gorgeous” twin boys who reveal her true purpose in life.
Hayden Heyer’s first day of school starts off with the typical hiccups. A trip to the office to get help with her broken locker only compounds things when she spots identical, blue-eyed James and Joe Sparks, new to Henderson High—and, eerily, in almost every one of her classes. At first, she plays coy and even tries to avoid the two. Once she realizes her new relationship riles the entitled “fembots” at school, she accepts their friendly advances, which include lessons on meditation and how to live a healthier lifestyle. When a local gang confronts the trio, the twins begin to reveal their true identities as immortal “protectors,” second-class angels sent by God to train Hayden to control the elements and “round ball-like spheres” of energy so that she might fulfill her heavenly duty as a “balancer” on earth, “able to handle any physical problem like: protecting an innocent, freeing the trapped, or stopping a crime.” What she can’t handle is her heart as she struggles to decide which of the Sparks brothers she loves. Ethereal in both subject and style, Henderson’s book doesn’t rise to the challenge of its promising beginning. Told in first-person, the story switches verb tenses and repeats words frequently: On one page, characters “scan” the cafeteria (twice) before “scanning” the menu. The dialogue smacks of melodrama, and the abuse of adverbs is constant: “ ‘You throw like a girl,’ James commented competitively.” The dearth of conflict or character development, despite Henderson’s lofty imaginary tangents, confounds. For a few maddening chapters, the reader follows Hayden and her slightly sociopathic guardians as they go to the mall to shop. Without climax or resolution, the book sputters to an undramatic cliff-hanger—and the promise of a sequel—without providing much satisfaction.
A well-imagined premise with a flat narrative arc.Pub Date: Dec. 18, 2012
ISBN: 978-0985895310
Page Count: 360
Publisher: Twin Guardian Publishing
Review Posted Online: Feb. 28, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An enjoyable picture book that addresses important issues in a kid-friendly way without being preachy.
Willenbrock’s heartwarming debut picture book is the autobiographical story of how she came to share her home with a special shelter dog.
Told from the perspective of Marshall, Willenbrock’s dog, this tale tells of his unpleasant life in the home of a dog hoarder, where food for the dogs was so scarce that they fought each other at mealtime. In one of these fights, Marshall’s front leg was broken and his face was badly bitten. When animal rescuers finally found out about the animal hoarder and took the dogs away, Marshall was in such sorry shape that they didn’t know if he would make it. He ended up losing his damaged front leg and his face remained badly scarred, yet he describes the compassion of the humane society workers who helped him learn how to walk and run on three legs. He meets his new “mom” (owner) and adjusts to a life of freedom with her and her other dog, Mooshy. Though life is good, Marshall is insecure and nervous about how other dogs and people will react to the fact that he has only three legs and a big scar on his face, but he’s pleasantly surprised by the kindness of others. Heimbaugh’s realistic colored-pencil illustrations help bring Marshall’s story to life. Due to wordiness and the use of some bigger words—celebrity, socialize, limitations—this book will most likely work better as a read-aloud with school-age children. It also lends itself to discussions about the humane treatment of animals and discussions about bullying.
An enjoyable picture book that addresses important issues in a kid-friendly way without being preachy.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0615666259
Page Count: 40
Publisher: The Marshall Movement
Review Posted Online: Oct. 9, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Unanswered questions and heavy-handed writing drain intrigue from this not-so-spooky story.
Three friends unravel old secrets lurking beneath the surface of a picture-perfect town in this young adult mystery.
Fallon and her best friend, Blair, live in the town of Whitford, a “sort of old fashioned” place where “everyone knows everyone else.” Nothing ever goes wrong there, except for local 16-year-old girls’ penchant for drowning in Whitford Pond on their 16th birthdays. That is, nothing ever goes wrong until Blair, Fallon and their new friend Lila start investigating the drownings as part of a history project. Soon after the girls paddle out to the spooky island at the middle of the pond where its victims are buried, Fallon discovers that she’s related to the pond’s first victim: Elizabeth Mason, who was engaged to the prosperous son of the town jeweler before her supposed suicide in 1750. By poking around the town historical society and badgering Fallon’s lively grandmother, Nana, the girls realize that something sinister lurks beneath Whitford’s bucolic surface. It’s only when the trio heads to the fourth floor of Whitford’s public library in search of A Genealogy of the Noble Families of Whitford: A History that they realize their quest is putting them in danger. Blair and Fallon’s friendship feels comfortable and credible, although the addition of “exotic” Lila seems like a strained plot device rather than a real-life event. Indeed, much of the plotting is convenient rather than clever; the girls’ discoveries primarily result from pushing Nana to give them information or snooping around Nana’s house—and the developments that aren’t related to Nana are foreshadowed so heavily that they come as no surprise. Another distraction: Every time that the inhabitants of Whitford scream or emphasize a turn of phrase, Fredo uses capital letters. They’re are unnecessary, for example, when Fallon says, “I JUST HAD THE BEST IDEA EVER!”
Unanswered questions and heavy-handed writing drain intrigue from this not-so-spooky story.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 172
Publisher: iUniverse
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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