A warm, inventive coming-of-age story and an affecting meditation on belonging.
In London’s middle-grade/YA SF graphic novel, a group of teenage robots discovers that being “wired different” may be exactly what makes them whole.
Set in a post-human future where remnants of humanity are treated with suspicion, this thoughtful graphic novel follows Quirk, a teen robot struggling to connect with his peers and understand his place in society. Everything changes in a hidden bunker filled with relics from the human era, including a diary, a pink hoodie, medical testing kits, and even human remains. Drawn especially to the hoodie, Quirk begins wearing it to school like a protective shield—an outward symbol of the alienation he already feels inside. Initially mocked by classmates for his unusual behavior and fascination with forbidden human culture, Quirk gradually finds companionship among other students who feel similarly out of step with the rigid expectations of robot society. There’s Glitch, an anxious, egg-shaped bot managing OCD tendencies; Fidget, a sweet-natured giant whose ADHD makes concentration difficult; and Trig, whose misophonia causes sensory overwhelm and who slowly becomes Quirk’s romantic interest. Together, they form a club built around mutual support, empathy, and self-discovery. Rather than attempting to “fix” themselves, the robots learn to articulate their struggles, confront cruelty from classmates, and reinterpret traits once viewed as defects as meaningful parts of their identities (“Hey, who knew autism would help me one day?”). The author approaches neurodivergence from an oblique angle that never feels clinical or preachy; by filtering recognizable human conditions through robotic characters, the story creates enough emotional distance for readers to engage with difficult topics comfortably while still recognizing the real-world parallels. The graphic format further softens some of the narrative’s darker turns, including a devastating subplot in which a student chooses to “deactivate” himself by removing his processor—a clear analogue for suicide that is handled with sensitivity and restraint. London’s artwork complements the story’s emotional accessibility, balancing sleek futuristic designs with expressive character work that gives each robot a distinct emotional texture.
A warm, inventive coming-of-age story and an affecting meditation on belonging.Pub Date: June 15, 2026
ISBN: 9798994869406
Page Count: 132
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 26, 2026
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Both entertaining and well-written; demands and holds readers’ attention.
A duology opener that revisits the world of Divergent (2011).
Beatrice “Tris” Prior is Divergent. But before she can select Dauntless, her Choosing Ceremony is interrupted by a group of factionless rebels, and her good friend is killed. Amid the chaos, Tris sees Evelyn, the wife of Abnegation leader Marcus Eaton—but Evelyn supposedly died years ago. And, shockingly, she’s an Amity woman who’s holding a gun. Tris doesn’t tell anyone, even her father, when he later questions her. Her brother, Caleb, chooses Erudite—the faction that’s most critical toward the Abnegation and their practices—and Tris feels pressured to stay in Abnegation. But when her father tries to erase her memories, she knows she’s unsafe. Tris’ mother helps her escape to the factionless, where Tris meets Four, a Dauntless boy. Their relationship shows her that she was right to leave Abnegation—and that maybe the rebels are correct to want the death of the faction system. As Tris becomes friends with the other “faction failures,” she realizes that no faction is as it seems, and that power is a corrupting influence they can’t escape. This exciting work revisits beloved characters, offering a new understanding of them and of what happens when we stand up and ask questions. Returning fans and those new to this world will appreciate the witty banter, slow-burn romance, and heartache stemming from betrayal and complicated familial love. The leads are cued white.
Both entertaining and well-written; demands and holds readers’ attention. (Dystopian. 13-18)Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2026
ISBN: 9780063462595
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2026
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in.
Black is back with another dark tale of Faerie, this one set in Faerie and launching a new trilogy.
Jude—broken, rebuilt, fueled by anger and a sense of powerlessness—has never recovered from watching her adoptive Faerie father murder her parents. Human Jude (whose brown hair curls and whose skin color is never described) both hates and loves Madoc, whose murderous nature is true to his Faerie self and who in his way loves her. Brought up among the Gentry, Jude has never felt at ease, but after a decade, Faerie has become her home despite the constant peril. Black’s latest looks at nature and nurture and spins a tale of court intrigue, bloodshed, and a truly messed-up relationship that might be the saving of Jude and the titular prince, who, like Jude, has been shaped by the cruelties of others. Fierce and observant Jude is utterly unaware of the currents that swirl around her. She fights, plots, even murders enemies, but she must also navigate her relationship with her complex family (human, Faerie, and mixed). This is a heady blend of Faerie lore, high fantasy, and high school drama, dripping with description that brings the dangerous but tempting world of Faerie to life.
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in. (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-316-31027-7
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Sept. 25, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2017
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