Purpus (The Dragon Who Chooses Twice, 2014, etc.) returns to Draconia, the setting of her previous four books, to tell the story of a teen girl forced to grow up quickly in this YA fantasy with modern touches.
Rya struggles in school, but she’s always had a natural gift for understanding animals and forecasting the weather. Her sense helps her save her class from the mudslide that engulfs their town. As she, her teacher and her class await help in the destroyed school, Rya silently begs for help and is surprised when someone answers: Aster and her dragon, Jasmine, are able to telepathically hear Rya’s distress call and come to her aid. Soon, other dragons, their riders and various magical creatures come to help the devastated village. Back at her farm, however, Rya finds out that her parents have been murdered. Her new magical friends—including Artemis, an injured fox pup with whom she bonds—stay with her and help Rya fix up the damaged farm while she completes her studies and tries to piece together the mystery of what happened to her parents. Though set in a fantasy world, this accessible novel incorporates elements of modern life. For instance, Rya’s difficulty in school can be partially attributed to dyslexia. Characters speak in modern voices, not in the stylized manner often found in high-fantasy novels; that said, speech at times falls short of being realistic, as when Rya says, “I’ve learned a lot this morning, but the best thing is that I’ve learned that learning can be fun.” Elsewhere, it’s difficult to understand why Rya and Artemis are allowed to take a walk by themselves—though Rya has survived being shot, and the man who killed her parents has been causing havoc at the farm. Back story also occasionally slows the story down, but that also means this can be read as a stand-alone book.
Should appeal to younger YA readers seeking an accessible fantasy and not disturbed by a few violent scenes.
Pub Date: Oct. 9, 2014
ISBN: 978-0692267219
Page Count: 294
Publisher: Purpus Publishing
Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.
A fifth-grade New Orleans girl discovers a mysterious chrysalis containing an unexpected creature in this middle-grade novel.
Jacquelyn Marie Johnson, called Jackie, is a 10-year-old African-American girl, the second oldest and the only girl of six siblings. She’s responsible, smart, and enjoys being in charge; she likes “paper dolls and long division and imagining things she had never seen.” Normally, Jackie has no trouble obeying her strict but loving parents. But when her potted snapdragon acquires a peculiar egg or maybe a chrysalis (she dubs it a chrysalegg), Jackie’s strong desire to protect it runs up against her mother’s rule against plants in the house. Jackie doesn’t exactly mean to lie, but she tells her mother she needs to keep the snapdragon in her room for a science project and gets permission. Jackie draws the chrysalegg daily, waiting for something to happen as it gets larger. When the amazing creature inside breaks free, Jackie is more determined than ever to protect it, but this leads her further into secrets and lies. The results when her parents find out are painful, and resolving the problem will take courage, honesty, and trust. Dumas (Jaden Toussaint, the Greatest: Episode 5, 2017, etc.) presents a very likable character in Jackie. At 10, she’s young enough to enjoy playing with paper dolls but has a maturity that even older kids can lack. She’s resourceful, as when she wants to measure a red spot on the chrysalegg; lacking calipers, she fashions one from her hairpin. Jackie’s inward struggle about what to obey—her dearest wishes or the parents she loves—is one many readers will understand. The book complicates this question by making Jackie’s parents, especially her mother, strict (as one might expect to keep order in a large family) but undeniably loving and protective as well—it’s not just a question of outwitting clueless adults. Jackie’s feelings about the creature (tender and responsible but also more than a little obsessive) are similarly shaded rather than black-and-white. The ending suggests that an intriguing sequel is to come.
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943169-32-0
Page Count: 212
Publisher: Plum Street Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.
In the ninth book in the Bluford young-adult series, a young Latino man walks away from violence—but at great personal cost.
In a large Southern California city, 16-year-old Martin Luna hangs out on the fringes of gang life. He’s disaffected, fatherless and increasingly drawn into the orbit of the older, rougher Frankie. When a stray bullet kills Martin’s adored 8-year-old brother, Huero, Martin seems to be heading into a life of crime. But Martin’s mother, determined not to lose another son, moves him to another neighborhood—the fictional town of Bluford, where he attends the racially diverse Bluford High. At his new school, the still-grieving Martin quickly makes enemies and gets into trouble. But he also makes friends with a kind English teacher and catches the eye of Vicky, a smart, pretty and outgoing Bluford student. Martin’s first-person narration supplies much of the book’s power. His dialogue is plain, but realistic and believable, and the authors wisely avoid the temptation to lard his speech with dated and potentially embarrassing slang. The author draws a vivid and affecting picture of Martin’s pain and confusion, bringing a tight-lipped teenager to life. In fact, Martin’s character is so well drawn that when he realizes the truth about his friend Frankie, readers won’t feel as if they are watching an after-school special, but as though they are observing the natural progression of Martin’s personal growth. This short novel appears to be aimed at urban teens who don’t often see their neighborhoods portrayed in young-adult fiction, but its sophisticated characters and affecting story will likely have much wider appeal.
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2004
ISBN: 978-1591940173
Page Count: 152
Publisher: Townsend Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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