Though Michael Herne laments his return to the life of an operator, readers may hail a new breed of hero.
Vinjamuri’s (Accidental Branding, 2008) first novel follows a Special Forces man on a quest to uncover the truth.
Michael Herne returns to his hometown to attend the funeral of his high school sweetheart. Mel’s death was ruled a suicide, but her reporter friend Veronica believes there’s more to the story and enlists Michael’s aid in unraveling the threads. Secrets on both sides trip up the investigation, which Michael knows he shouldn’t be digging into, but things suddenly get too close for comfort when Russian gangsters attempt to kill him during an early morning run. Michael’s elite military training comes in handy, and though he manages to escape, he reveals his former life as a Special Forces operator. Plunged into a world of Russian spies, child prostitution, kidnapping and the crooked deals that have kept his hometown afloat, Michael must uncover the truth that led to Mel’s untimely death. While many novels have dealt with elite military training, spy games and coverups, Vinjamuri’s work brings a fresh look at all three genres. Tight pacing offers plenty of suspense and surprise, and while the protagonist occasionally seems more superhero than mortal, it’s also clear why his superiors chose him for his line of work. Descriptions of the training Michael has received come through flashbacks that work well with the novel’s shadowy subject: overlapping mountainous upstate New York escape scenes with midnight jaunts halfway around the world to learn specialized moves from unlikely masters. The novel handles its dark subject matter straightforwardly, and while justice is certainly a theme, the hero also harbors a dark side. Michael may use his vigilantism for noble ends, but can justice ever truly be served by one man? The operator is not a blank slate, and Michael provides a satisfyingly complex character struggling with shades of gray even as he knows exactly what he must do.
Though Michael Herne laments his return to the life of an operator, readers may hail a new breed of hero.Pub Date: Aug. 10, 2012
ISBN: 978-0985775605
Page Count: 178
Publisher: ThirdWay, Inc.
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
PROFILES
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
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
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