A deft balance of pathos and humor.
A troubled teenager travels back to the medieval era in Flint’s YA fantasy novel.
Seventeen-and-a-half-year-old Alex thinks she’s seen every variety of foster mom. Her latest one, Monica, seems to be the overly earnest and anxious type. Alex has always been an urbanite, residing in San Francisco and other cities, so living in rural Jefferson, California, with Monica is an adjustment. (There is dial-up internet, and many cows.) In drama class at her new high school, Alex meets Ryan when they kiss as part of a play rehearsal. After skipping school together and getting into trouble with police, Ryan proposes that they flee to Los Angeles. Torn between well-meaning Monica and persuasive Ryan, Alex is just about to call Ryan when lightning strikes, followed by darkness. Alex awakens in an alternate world resembling a Renaissance fair. She’s now in London, and worse, it’s no longer the year 2013, but 1613. Mistaken for a missing actor who’s supposed to play Juliet in a performance for the King of England, Alex is forced to conceal her gender (only men could act) while searching for the real actor and trying to somehow get back to her own time. Flint breathes new life into the tired concept of time travel. The characters are uniformly engaging, from the leads to the minor players. Damaged Alex (her biological mother overdosed) never loses her sense of humor, whether getting peed on by a “Decidedly Well-Hydrated Cow” or tipping over in bottom-heavy clothing during the medieval era. A large cast, including a lisping oarsman, a prisoner named Moll Cutpurse, and a pimply, sarcastic drama classmate, also add dashes of flavor. London in 1613 is vividly described, with “dusty children” watching a sadistic marionette show, fleas, stockades, stalls selling produce, and live chickens. The depiction of small-town life in 2013 Jefferson—a place with “fallow fields and ancient tractors,” Western wear stores, a Super Kmart, and bowling alley—also rings true. Flint keeps the story moving briskly, and it’s so much fun that the improbable aspects shrink to insignificance.
A deft balance of pathos and humor.Pub Date: May 1, 2025
ISBN: 9781947536203
Page Count: 319
Publisher: Turtle Cove Press
Review Posted Online: March 21, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and...
A deliciously creepy page-turning gem from first-time writer and illustrator Brosgol finds brooding teenager Anya trying to escape the past—both her own and the ghost haunting her.
Anya feels out of place at her preppy private school; embarrassed by her Russian heritage, she has worked hard to lose her accent and to look more like everyone else. After a particularly frustrating morning at the bus stop, Anya storms off, only to accidentally fall down a well. Down in the dark hole, she meets Emily, a ghost who claims to be a murder victim trapped down in the dank abyss for 90 years. With Emily’s help, Anya manages to escape, though once free, she learns that Emily has traveled out with her. At first, Emily seems like the perfect friend; however, once her motives become clear, Anya learns that “perfect” may only be an illusion. A moodily atmospheric spectrum of grays washes over the clean, tidy panels, setting a distinct stage before the first words appear. Brosgol’s tight storytelling invokes the chilling feeling of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline (2002), though for a decidedly older set.
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and outward appearance. (Graphic supernatural fiction. 12 & up)Pub Date: June 7, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-59643-552-0
Page Count: 224
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: April 18, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2011
A fantasy with complex characterization that will build anticipation for the next entry.
Three young people find their places in a world of vengeance and destiny in National Book Award winner Tahir’s duology opener set in the multicultural world of her An Ember in the Ashes series.
Aiz, from the impoverished nation of Kegar, seeks revenge against Tiral bet-Hiwa, an air squadron commander who, as a child, murdered Aiz’s fellow orphans. Guided by a voice claiming to be Mother Div, Kegar’s first queen, Aiz escapes imprisonment after her failed assassination attempt on Tiral and embarks on a journey to free Mother Div’s trapped spirit. In the Martial Empire, Sirsha, a skilled tracker with magical abilities who’s been banished from her homeland, is saved by a stranger who hires her to hunt an unnatural killer. Quil, the crown prince of the Martial Empire, faces an invasion by the Kegari and the lingering threat of a mysterious force responsible for recent murders, including those of two of his loved ones. As the storylines converge, Sirsha and Quil cross paths, leading to revelations about the insidious force. The story explores the blurred line between good and evil and the lengths one will go to for a better life. Tahir’s deep and intricate worldbuilding requires time for readers to fully grasp. Following a slow start, the plot engages as pieces fall into place, leading up to an unexpected ending. The beautiful writing compensates for the romantic relationships, which develop quickly and somewhat inorganically.
A fantasy with complex characterization that will build anticipation for the next entry. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9780593616949
Page Count: 496
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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