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
An entertaining and atmospheric, though sometimes clumsy, exploration of the true cost of beauty.
In this retelling of a classic, a drama student’s obsession with beauty leads her down a dark—and possibly deadly—path.
Eighteen-year-old Penny Paxton is beginning her first year at Dorian Drama Academy in Edinburgh, Scotland, where she hopes to follow in her starlet mother’s footsteps—and earn the love that her mother has never seemed to offer. At Dorian, Penny is mentored by Royal Shakespeare Company legend Orlagh Camran, who makes her the compelling offer of a portrait by the Masked Painter, a mysterious artist with the ability to gift his subjects everlasting youth and beauty. But shortly after Penny’s portrait is complete, several of the Masked Painter’s subjects are found murdered. Fearing that she’s made a terrible mistake and may become the next victim, Penny, who’s gay, begins to investigate the murders with the help of an unlikely ally. As she attempts to uncover the truth surrounding the Masked Painter and the murders, she’s forced to reckon with her own toxic obsession with beauty. This chilling, atmospheric novel, inspired by The Picture of Dorian Gray, is entertaining and full of twists, though some of the reveals feel contrived and some questions are left unanswered. The plot unravels at a leisurely pace but eventually builds to an action-packed (if somewhat convoluted) conclusion. Most characters are cued white.
An entertaining and atmospheric, though sometimes clumsy, exploration of the true cost of beauty. (content note, author’s note, bonus scene) (Fantasy thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: May 26, 2026
ISBN: 9781250346797
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
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