While Arnold has written a compelling flipped fairy tale and commentary on misogyny, she’s missed the mark for her intended...
Arnold (Bat and the Waiting Game, 2018, etc.) blends an abusive romance-novel relationship and intense feminist and patriarchal imagery with the classic storyline of a prince saving a damsel from the lair of a dragon.
In a gray, medieval world, Prince Emory of Harding makes his way toward a dragon’s lair to rescue a damsel and make her his bride, in the process bringing light to the land and glory upon himself. The damsel cannot recall who she is, and so Emory names her Ama. They return to Harding, where Prince Emory is crowned king, and his mother announces they will be wed in a few months’ time, and Ama will give birth to his heir. Ama must learn how to be a queen and is reminded repeatedly that Emory’s desires are what matters—she is never allowed to forget that he “saved” her. When she does not comply with his wishes, she is brutally and sadistically punished, sexually, psychologically, and physically. What if, instead of being the hero’s beloved, you are your abuser’s captive? The symbolism and imagery, as well as the meaning of the sexual violence that is perpetrated upon Ama, may go over the heads of less sophisticated readers. All characters are white.
While Arnold has written a compelling flipped fairy tale and commentary on misogyny, she’s missed the mark for her intended audience. (Fiction. 15-adult)Pub Date: Oct. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-274232-2
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: June 23, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A visually appealing but shallow romp.
Two boys who are ready to dive into a summer of partying instead find themselves in over their heads, cleaning up a beach polluted by a mysterious toxic sludge.
Leo promises Ben a wild summer full of hunky “unsupervised perverted beach maniacs,” but when they arrive in Port Dorian, the beach is closed. Instead of lifeguarding and partying, they’re stuck cleaning up the rotting sea life littering the shore. One glimpse of a cute boy gives them hope that maybe the hotties are just “hiding away like hermit crabs.” If they can clean up the beach fast enough, maybe they can save their “sexy summer.” However, their summer soon turns from stinky to suspicious when they drag a man with glowing eyes out of the water. The danger escalates when tentacled creatures emerge from the waves and start possessing the locals. The illustrations’ dramatic color palette effectively conveys the atmosphere and foreshadows the shift in tone as the story veers into a supernatural mystery. The art is vivid, dynamic, and emotionally expressive, but the characters as written lack depth and development and are insufficiently differentiated, so the buildup of romantic potential loses wind. Apart from some background characters, most of the cast is depicted with pale or lightly tanned skin. Although the plot moves at a fast pace and has suspenseful appeal, overall the story is underwhelming.
A visually appealing but shallow romp. (character designs, cover gallery) (Graphic fantasy. 16-18)Pub Date: April 22, 2025
ISBN: 9781637156445
Page Count: 120
Publisher: Oni Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
Precise and cutting.
On the morning after the new moon, five traumatized teens from a cult of societal outcasts who possess “magics” awaken to discover their entire community has vanished.
Three years ago, Bird tried to leave the Caravan, but found they didn’t belong in the human world either. The Caravan collects and shelters people with “inhuman characteristics or physical features” and unexplained, sometimes lethal, magical powers. While some are born into the community, like Bird, Hugo (a boy with antlers and fire powers who’s Bird’s ex), and Felix (Hugo’s fawn-eared younger brother), others, like “venomous wolf-girl” Cal and red-eyed Eamon, arrive mysteriously and have no memories of their pasts. Although the Caravan offers a haven, it’s vulnerable to being noticed by suspicious humans, who sometimes call the authorities. When Bird, Hugo, Felix, Cal, and Eamon wake up alone after the new moon, they blame each other and themselves. Secrets gnaw at them, and only Felix believes they can work together successfully. With nowhere else to go, they set off in search of Port Haven, Washington, a community like theirs—and the closest thing the Caravan has to an enemy. Chapters alternate among the perspectives of the five teens as well as shifting between past and present, maintaining suspense, tension, and a fast pace. Edgmon crafts horror with vivid imagery and an unknown, ominous threat. Meticulous plotting leads to a satisfying conclusion. The cast of characters is predominantly white-presenting and queer.
Precise and cutting. (author’s note) (Paranormal. 15-18)Pub Date: June 10, 2025
ISBN: 9781250853653
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
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