A heartwarming tale of a superpowered high schooler with well-developed characters.
A teenage girl discovers the truth about her heritage in a YA SF story about the next stage in the evolution of humankind.
Sixteen-year-old Alexis Allerton is a teen with a passion for science; a crush on Everett Evans, a lab assistant at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she’s an intern; a loving family; and close friends in fellow high schoolers Hannah and Josh. Alexis has always been told that she has hemophilia, and has lived all her life with restrictions on physical activities. Alexis undergoes treatment every two days; a trio of doctors—Sam, Ira, and Kan Roman—visit her at home to treat her with injections of a clotting factor. But then, one day, she has a small accident at the lab, cuts her hand and sees her own blood for the first time. The first thing she discovers is that it’s silver, and she later finds out that its chemical composition is impossible in nature. It turns out that her doctors have been lying to her family; she doesn’t have hemophilia, but does have superhuman abilities, revealed over the course of the story. She also finds out that she’s adopted, and to find out her true origins, she embarks on a life-changing journey across the world with Everett and her sister, Amanda. Mir delivers a fun, engaging novel that offers an original take on genetic mutation and human evolution with elements of comedy, adventure, and romance. It even includes lots of cool, fictional scientific explanations of things such as “liquid crystal blood.” Alexis’ coming-of-age takes her from the United States to Mexico and Kazakhstan alongside supportive, fleshed-out secondary characters who enrich this story of self-discovery, identity, agency, and ultimately, hope. The novel is reminiscent of Becky Chambers’ brand of optimistic, warm SF that will appeal to teens and adults alike.
A heartwarming tale of a superpowered high schooler with well-developed characters.Pub Date: Oct. 9, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-953887-01-6
Page Count: 309
Publisher: Mir House
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and...
A deliciously creepy page-turning gem from first-time writer and illustrator Brosgol finds brooding teenager Anya trying to escape the past—both her own and the ghost haunting her.
Anya feels out of place at her preppy private school; embarrassed by her Russian heritage, she has worked hard to lose her accent and to look more like everyone else. After a particularly frustrating morning at the bus stop, Anya storms off, only to accidentally fall down a well. Down in the dark hole, she meets Emily, a ghost who claims to be a murder victim trapped down in the dank abyss for 90 years. With Emily’s help, Anya manages to escape, though once free, she learns that Emily has traveled out with her. At first, Emily seems like the perfect friend; however, once her motives become clear, Anya learns that “perfect” may only be an illusion. A moodily atmospheric spectrum of grays washes over the clean, tidy panels, setting a distinct stage before the first words appear. Brosgol’s tight storytelling invokes the chilling feeling of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline (2002), though for a decidedly older set.
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and outward appearance. (Graphic supernatural fiction. 12 & up)Pub Date: June 7, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-59643-552-0
Page Count: 224
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: April 18, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2011
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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