Bittersweet but hopeful.
After the revolution, the hard work begins.
Four years ago Ashara overthrew its genocidal “kasir” (magician) leaders for a United Parliament of both kasiri and the “halan” underclass, but oppression—legal and otherwise—still continues. Rivka Kadmiel, of aristocratic kasir lineage, thinks little about prejudice until her twin brother, Arik, lacking magic, is declared a “wilding” and removed to a halan family. Rivka vows to find him again, but both law and society forbid her even to learn his new name. This follow-up to the well-received Sparkers (2014) examines the difficulty of completely eradicating systemic injustice. Glewwe portrays not only the corrosive (and mutual) enmity between kasiri and halani, but also the complex, layered intersections of class, nationality, ethnicity, and disability (but not, surprisingly, gender). Characters from the first novel reappear, although in irritatingly saintly guise, but the focus is firmly on Rivka. With her unacknowledged privilege, her stubborn, unconscious bigotry, her deliberate alienation from family and friends, and her tendency to evaluate every acquaintance for potential usefulness, Rivka is difficult to like. Still, her fierce determination and ferocious devotion to her twin demand respect, and she gathers friends almost against her will. The final confrontation between the bitter halani in Ashara’s government and the children representing the city’s future is inspiring in its depiction of the power of simple family love.
Bittersweet but hopeful. (Fantasy. 10-15)Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-451-46885-7
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Aug. 29, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
Longing—for connection, for family, for a voice—roars to life with just a touch of magic.
A young girl bargaining for the health of her grandmother discovers both her family’s past and the strength of her own voice.
For many years, Lily’s Korean grandmother, Halmoni, has shared her Asian wisdom and healing powers with her predominantly White community. When Lily, her sister, Sam—both biracial, Korean and White—and their widowed mom move in with Halmoni to be close with her as she ages, Lily begins to see a magical tiger. What were previously bedtime stories become dangerously prophetic, as Lily begins to piece together fact from fiction. There is no need for prior knowledge of Korean folktales, although a traditional Korean myth propels the story forward. From the tiger, Lily learns that Halmoni has bottled up the hard stories of her past to keep sadness at bay. Lily makes a deal with the tiger to heal her grandmother by releasing those stories. What she comes to realize is that healing doesn’t mean health and that Halmoni is not the only one in need of the power of storytelling. Interesting supporting characters are fully developed but used sparingly to keep the focus on the simple yet suspenseful plot. Keller infuses this tale, which explores both the end of life and coming-of-age, with a sensitive examination of immigration issues and the complexity of home. It is at one and the same time completely American and thoroughly informed by Korean culture.
Longing—for connection, for family, for a voice—roars to life with just a touch of magic. (Fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Jan. 28, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5247-1570-0
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Sept. 28, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2019
Dolphin lovers will appreciate this look at our complicated relationship with these marine mammals.
Is dolphin-assisted therapy so beneficial to patients that it’s worth keeping a wild dolphin captive?
Twelve-year-old Lily has lived with her emotionally distant oncologist stepfather and a succession of nannies since her mother died in a car accident two years ago. Nannies leave because of the difficulty of caring for Adam, Lily’s severely autistic 4-year-old half brother. The newest, Suzanne, seems promising, but Lily is tired of feeling like a planet orbiting the sun Adam. When she meets blind Zoe, who will attend the same private middle school as Lily in the fall, Lily’s happy to have a friend. However, Zoe’s take on the plight of the captive dolphin, Nori, used in Adam’s therapy opens Lily’s eyes. She knows she must use her influence over her stepfather, who is consulting on Nori’s treatment for cancer (caused by an oil spill), to free the animal. Lily’s got several fine lines to walk, as she works to hold onto her new friend, convince her stepfather of the rightness of releasing Nori, and do what’s best for Adam. In her newest exploration of animal-human relationships, Rorby’s lonely, mature heroine faces tough but realistic situations. Siblings of children on the spectrum will identify with Lily. If the tale flirts with sentimentality and some of the characters are strident in their views, the whole never feels maudlin or didactic.
Dolphin lovers will appreciate this look at our complicated relationship with these marine mammals. (Fiction. 10-13)Pub Date: May 26, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-545-67605-2
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015
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