Satisfyingly packed with emotional insights, epic magic duels, and twisty intrigue.
Adraa and Jatin struggle to defend their people amid growing danger and mistrust.
Adraa, the heir to Belwar, is a gifted witch, an innovator, an Underground cage caster, and the heroic, masked Red Woman. Now, she is also either the savior of her people or the monster who tried to kill them all. On trial for causing the deadly eruption of Mount Gandhak, Adraa is framed as a villain, and her people lose faith in her as heir and in her family as rulers. Imprisoned in the impregnable Dome, Adraa struggles to hold on to her secrets and feelings of self-worth despite being plagued by insecurity and guilt. Jatin, heir to Naupure and the secret vigilante Night, gathers his friends and plans to free his love, Adraa, by any means necessary. In this action-packed sequel, familiar characters reappear and past plot threads weave seamlessly together as the fates of both kingdoms hang in the balance. While the villains are slightly one-dimensional, the treatments of topics such as guilt, secrets, grief, and the impact of drug use and abuse are intricate and well analyzed. They are balanced, often with humor, by themes of love, friendship, family, and community. Similarly, inequities between the Touched magic users and the Untouched, who cannot use magic, continue to be questioned. The story is set in a reimagined fantasy version of India, in which different kingdoms vary culturally and physically.
Satisfyingly packed with emotional insights, epic magic duels, and twisty intrigue. (Fantasy. 12-18)Pub Date: Jan. 18, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-12425-3
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
A promising premise that’s lacking in spice.
A fall romance with a New England backdrop.
Autumn leaves aren’t the only stunning thing to hit the town of Briar Glen—so has good-looking new boy Jack Harper, and Lucy Kane is enamored with both. Her new crush is the perfect thing to take her mind off the fact that Java Junction, part of a global chain, is opening across the street from Cup o’ Jo, Lucy’s mother’s coffee shop, where they take pride in baking everything from scratch and avoiding artificial ingredients. But there’s more than coincidence in the timing of the arrivals of both Jack and Java Junction: The Harper family moved to Briar Glen specifically to open this franchise location, which will bring competition that threatens Cup o’ Jo. This scenario has the makings of a perfect autumnal adversaries-to-lovers romance, but the writing lacks charm and chemistry. Jack seems to be completely enamored with Lucy, but her character isn’t sufficiently developed to warrant his attention. Lucy’s friends are continually supportive of her but have few distinguishing characteristics, and the story is weakened by confusing timelines and repetitive elements. The resolution relies upon successes that come too easily and do not feel earned. Major characters are cued white.
A promising premise that’s lacking in spice. (Romance. 12-16)Pub Date: Aug. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781339030753
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters.
When star hockey player Alec Barczewski’s estranged childhood friend, Dani Collins, moves to town, they end up in a mutually beneficial fake-dating relationship that reignites old feelings.
Following her parents’ divorce, Dani and her mom move in with Dani’s hockey legend grandfather in Southview, Minnesota, where she spent a month every summer as a child and where her friendship with Alec grew. Between visits, the two were pen pals, but they eventually fell out of touch. Despite some tensions over their loss of friendship, the high school seniors reconnect. Desperate to get off Harvard’s waitlist, Dani needs another extracurricular activity, while Alec—whose reputation took a hit when a photo of him holding a bong appeared on social media—is eager to improve his tarnished image for NHL scouts. The pair strike a deal: They’ll fake date, making Alec look like a stable guy whose academically gifted girlfriend is related to hockey royalty, and in exchange, he’ll get Dani a team manager position that will catch the eye of Harvard’s admissions officers. Eventually, complicated feelings about their past, stressful family relationships, and their brewing romance boil over. Romance fans will love the deliciously tension-filled scenes between Alec and Dani, who are believable friends with heavy demands weighing on them. They feel like real teenagers, and readers will enjoy rooting for them as the well-paced story unfolds. Main characters present white.
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2025
ISBN: 9781665921268
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
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