Readers who liked Volume 1 will be perfectly happy waiting with this sequel for the series climax.
In Oz, the rebellion begun in Dorothy Must Die (2014) continues as its players regroup.
As the story opens, Kansan Amy Gumm and the newly transformed Princess Ozma are taken to the queen of the formerly winged monkeys, leaving the wreckage of the Emerald City behind along with Nox and the rest of the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked. There, Amy learns that her friend Pete from the Emerald City still exists within Ozma; with a little magical help from Amy, he can emerge and interact, but most of the time his personality is submerged beneath the addled princess's. But where is Nox? Soon enough, Amy and Ozma/Pete are off to find Polychrome, the daughter of the rainbow, who may be willing to help the Order. But before they go, tough-talking monkey queen Lulu warns Amy that the dark magic she is becoming increasingly adept with could turn her into another Dorothy. And where, oh, where is Nox? With this second full-length novel in her Oz reboot, Paige continues to develop her dystopian vision of the classic tales, offering readers grimly twisted versions of the characters developed in a more innocent time. It's very much a middle volume, taking Amy and readers around the fairyland but returning them inevitably to the Emerald City for another blood-soaked confrontation. Amy's struggle with her alarming capacity for wickedness and her swoony fixation on Nox feel obligatory rather than organic, but when she's not mentally wringing her hands, her snarky voice still entertains.
Readers who liked Volume 1 will be perfectly happy waiting with this sequel for the series climax. (Dystopian fantasy. 12 & up)Pub Date: March 31, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-06-228070-1
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 27, 2015
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A book that seamlessly brings readers along on a journey of impact and empowerment.
A manifesto for budding feminists.
At the core of this engaging novel are besties Chelsea, who is Irish- and Italian-American and into fashion and beauty, and Jasmine, who is African-American, loves the theater, and pushes back against bias around size (“I don’t need your fake compliments, your pity. I know I’m beautiful. Inside and out”). They and their sidekicks, half-Japanese/half-Lebanese Nadine and Puerto Rican Isaac, grow into first-class activists—simultaneously educating their peers and readers. The year gets off to a rocky start at their progressive, social justice–oriented New York City high school: Along with the usual angst many students experience, Jasmine’s father is terminally ill with cancer, and after things go badly in both their clubs, Jasmine and Chelsea form a women’s rights club which becomes the catalyst for their growth as they explore gender inequality and opportunities for change. This is an inspiring look at two strong-willed teens growing into even stronger young women ready to use their voices and take on the world, imploring budding feminists everywhere to “join the revolution.” The book offers a poetic balance of dialogue among the main characters, their peers, and the adults in their lives. The exquisite pacing, which intersperses everyday teen conflicts with weightier issues, demonstrates how teens long to be heard and taken seriously.
A book that seamlessly brings readers along on a journey of impact and empowerment. (resources for young activists, endnotes) (Fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Feb. 12, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0008-3
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2019
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