Not a must-have.
A young woman with the ability to see auras, seeking her mother’s freedom, discovers that with great power comes even greater danger in Schaumberg’s steampunk-lite, historical debut.
White, 16-year-old Avery Kohl’s life has steadily unraveled since the day her mother was imprisoned in an asylum called the Temple of Mind Balance Studies—the titular Tombs—three years ago. Thrown with her father into poverty that requires Avery to work as a welder, Avery is terrified that she has inherited her mother’s visions and affliction; now, after a bizarre explosion at the ironworks, Avery’s visions become impossible to ignore. With help from a diverse secondary cast including the black, formerly enslaved Khan (sadly exoticized—a literal “magical Negro”) and a troupe of Romani travelers, Avery sets out to embrace her power as an aura healer (someone who can see and manipulate living energy and emotions) and free her mother from the clutches of a corrupt and treacherous scientist. Schaumberg has crafted a rich and gritty 1880s New York while infusing the historical with enough of the speculative to land it just this side of steampunk. The result falls unfortunately flat, however, with plot-stalling lags in exposition, underdeveloped plotlines and character motivations, and a disappointing lack of follow-through on efforts at representation of disability and racial diversity. The gratuitous appearances of the slur “Gypsy,” while historically relevant, emphasize the conspicuous absence of any other contemporaneously common racial slurs in the text.
Not a must-have. (author’s note) (Historical fantasy. 14-17)Pub Date: Feb. 20, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-265644-5
Page Count: 448
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: Nov. 21, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2017
Full of drama, emotional turmoil, and high stakes.
What happens to the world after the dust from a revolution has settled?
Friends Annie and Lee were children from very different circles when Atreus killed Lee’s father, dragonlord Leon Stormscourge, ending the uprising on the bloodiest day in Callipolis’ history. For too long the dragonriders held all the power while their people starved and lived in fear. Nine years later, a new generation of dragonriders is emerging, children selected and trained on merit, not bloodlines. Their dragons are finally mature enough for them to compete for Firstrider, a position of power that can give Lee back a small part of what his family lost. However, not only is Lee competing against Annie, but rumors are circulating that some of the royal family have survived and have dragons of their own. Everyone will have to make a choice: Restore the old regime, support the First Protector and the new caste system he created, or look for a new way, no matter what the cost. From the beginning, this book pulls readers in with political intrigue and action. What keeps them invested, however, are the complex relationships between many cast members. Choices are complex, and the consequences for all could be deadly. The world is well fleshed out and believable. Annie and Lee are light skinned; secondary characters are diverse, and race is a nonissue in this world.
Full of drama, emotional turmoil, and high stakes. (author’s note) (Fantasy.14-17)Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-525-51821-1
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: July 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2019
Several yards short of a touchdown.
A transgender boy starting over at a new school falls hard for a popular cheerleader with a reputation to protect in this debut.
On the first day of senior year, transgender boy Pony locks eyes with cisgender cheerleader Georgia. They both have pasts they want to leave behind. No one at Hillcrest High knows that Pony is transgender, and he intends to keep it that way. Georgia’s last boyfriend shook her trust in boys, and now she’s determined to forget him. As mutual attraction draws them together, Pony and Georgia must decide what they are willing to risk for a relationship. Pony’s best friend, Max, who is also transgender, disapproves of Pony’s choice to live stealth; this disagreement leads to serious conflict in their relationship. Meanwhile, Georgia and Pony behave as if Pony’s trans identity was a secret he was lying to her about rather than private information for him to share of his own volition. The characters only arrive at a hopeful resolution after Pony pays high physical and emotional prices. McSmith places repeated emphasis on the born-in-the-wrong-body narrative when the characters discuss trans identities. Whiteness is situated as the norm, and all main characters are white.
Several yards short of a touchdown. (Fiction. 14-17)Pub Date: May 26, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-06-294317-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
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