A charming, imaginative, and magical tale that will leave animal lovers of all ages smiling.
A YA fantasy stars a collection of uniquely gifted animals.
Tuxedo is a sweet, 11-month-old huskita (a husky/Akita mix). In the series opener’s action-packed opening, he and his human, Julian Larsen, are returning home after a weekend visit with Julian’s mother. Kidnappers force Julian off the road and, leaving Tux trapped in his travel crate, push the man’s SUV into the lake. As the water inside the car rises, the terrified Tux howls and gasps what he assumes is his final breath. Suddenly, he is rescued by two industrious beavers and one quick-witted, indomitable red fox called Machias. Readers have now entered the magical world of the Chigakwa, chosen animals imbued with the gift of Sosha, an ancient human who communicated with the spirit world. Sosha transformed into a large wolf with extraordinary skills and a mission to protect humanity from evildoers. Today, the Chigakwa are an international coalition of select representatives of almost all animal species who can converse with one another. Their current leader is the great she-wolf Maheeni. Tux’s traumatic experience has suddenly “awakened” his inner Chigakwa. Through a cascading series of adventures with Machias and Chigakwa cohorts, Tux will put his newly discovered talents to work trying to save the missing Julian. But first Machias must bring Tux to the Mountain, the secret Chigakwa headquarters, where Maheeni will evaluate the canine’s potential. Beka and McKeever’s Disney-esque adventure is delightful and amusing, filled with witty dialogue that builds the major players, especially Machias, into characters solid enough to allow for easy suspension of disbelief. Despite an overly ambitious plotline (there turns out to be more at stake than Julian’s survival), the authors limit their use of the animals to activities that remain consistent with their species’ conventional physical abilities, making them more credible. The beavers use their strong teeth to pull Tux’s crate out of the car; the fox manipulates the locking mechanism with his mouth; and an adorable, newly recruited owl, Huckleberry, is a stealthy messenger. Their superpowers rest in their cognitive and communicative abilities.
A charming, imaginative, and magical tale that will leave animal lovers of all ages smiling.Pub Date: July 15, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-946702-69-2
Page Count: 312
Publisher: Freeze Time Media
Review Posted Online: Oct. 8, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.
In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me, three characters tell their sides of the story.
Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind. (author’s note, content warning) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781728276229
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.
The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.
Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798987380406
Page Count: 538
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
bookshelf
