by Ellie James ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 1, 2011
There’s definitely more to Trinity’s story than what is revealed here, and readers will want to find out what it is....
Debut author James crafts a sexy, suspenseful paranormal thriller.
Sixteen-year-old Trinity Mounsour has just arrived in New Orleans to live with an aunt she barely knows. She finds a group of friends at her new school, but things get complicated very quickly. First of all, Trinity has long suffered from dreams that seem like premonitions, and in New Orleans, the dreams grow more powerful than ever. Trinity begins to have visions of her classmate Jessica lying in a disheveled heap in an old abandoned house. When Jessica actually disappears and Trinity starts dating her ex-boyfriend Chase, the local police get suspicious that Trinity has harmed her. Trinity has information for the police, but if she reveals it, they will only have more reason to think her guilty. As Trinity’s dreams get stronger, her relationship with Chase blossoms. He helps her to find out the truth about her parents’ death, a truth her family had always kept hidden from her and one that might just help her to understand what she is going through. Through Trinity's first-person narration, James keeps the suspense level high. Aside from the intriguing mysteries at its heart, this tale showcases a gothic New Orleans setting and a spicy love triangle to boot.
There’s definitely more to Trinity’s story than what is revealed here, and readers will want to find out what it is. Luckily, there is more to come in the Midnight Dragonfly series. (Paranormal mystery. 12 & up)Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-312-64702-5
Page Count: 352
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2011
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by Lauren Roberts ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 7, 2023
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
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by Daniel Aleman ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 4, 2021
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
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