by Erin Bow ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 20, 2016
Brilliant and compelling: don’t miss this.
A girl, remade, might just remake the world.
Princess Greta Stuart of the Pan Polar Confederacy was tortured and killed, then remade through politics and science into the first new AI in over a century (The Scorpion Rules, 2015). Now it’s time for Talis, the godlike, peace-dictating AI (who blows up cities to ensure compliance), to bring her home to the Red Mountains. But he’s currently in a vulnerable human body, subject to attacks both emotional and physical. Bow’s second volume starts slow, almost bogging down in minutiae, then accelerates to an extraordinary conclusion. This is not a fault: the slowness is an exquisite example of showing. Greta is AI, and AI tend to focus on minutiae. As Greta loses her humanity the narrative slows, swallowed in detail and exposition—only to switch pace and subtly alter in voice as she regains the qualities that make her human. All of this plays out against small human dramas and intense political plotting, all focused on an exploration of power, corruption, and compassion. Are there a few references that seem too now? Sure. Does it matter? Not at all; this is a treatise on humanity and love and the importance of caring—and also a sharp science-fiction novel of a weirdly plausible future.
Brilliant and compelling: don’t miss this. (Science fiction. 13 & up)Pub Date: Sept. 20, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-4274-9
Page Count: 384
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: June 27, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2016
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by Kathleen Glasgow ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 30, 2016
This grittily provocative debut explores the horrors of self-harm and the healing power of artistic expression.
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New York Times Bestseller
After surviving a suicide attempt, a fragile teen isn't sure she can endure without cutting herself.
Seventeen-year-old Charlie Davis, a white girl living on the margins, thinks she has little reason to live: her father drowned himself; her bereft and abusive mother kicked her out; her best friend, Ellis, is nearly brain dead after cutting too deeply; and she's gone through unspeakable experiences living on the street. After spending time in treatment with other young women like her—who cut, burn, poke, and otherwise hurt themselves—Charlie is released and takes a bus from the Twin Cities to Tucson to be closer to Mikey, a boy she "like-likes" but who had pined for Ellis instead. But things don't go as planned in the Arizona desert, because sweet Mikey just wants to be friends. Feeling rejected, Charlie, an artist, is drawn into a destructive new relationship with her sexy older co-worker, a "semifamous" local musician who's obviously a junkie alcoholic. Through intense, diarylike chapters chronicling Charlie's journey, the author captures the brutal and heartbreaking way "girls who write their pain on their bodies" scar and mar themselves, either succumbing or surviving. Like most issue books, this is not an easy read, but it's poignant and transcendent as Charlie breaks more and more before piecing herself back together.
This grittily provocative debut explores the horrors of self-harm and the healing power of artistic expression. (author’s note) (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-101-93471-5
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2016
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by K.L. Walther ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 4, 2021
Summery fun and games with feeling.
A summer trip helps break 18-year-old Meredith Fox out of a haze of mourning.
Her cousin’s wedding means a return to Martha’s Vineyard, a well-loved destination but one filled with bittersweet memories. It’s been a year and a half since the sudden loss of Meredith’s sister, Claire, and the grief remains strong. Meredith, though, resolves to take this time to celebrate family and bridge the rifts resulting from ghosting friends. She didn’t plan on a meet-cute/embarrassing encounter with the groom’s stepbrother, Wit. Nor did she expect a wedding-week game of Assassin, a water-gun–fueled family tradition. What starts off as a pact of sharing strategic information with Wit grows into something more as the flirting and feelings develop. Only one person can win, though, and any alliance has an expiration date. To win and honor Claire, who was a master of the game, Meredith must keep her eye on the prize. Taking place over the course of a week, the narrative is tight with well-paced reveals that disrupt predictability and keep the plot moving. Early details are picked back up, and many elements come satisfyingly full circle. The short time frame also heightens the tension of this summer romance: What will happen when they leave the bubble of the Vineyard? The mix of budding romance, competitive hijinks, a close-knit circle, as well as dealing with loss make for a satisfying read. The main cast is White.
Summery fun and games with feeling. (family tree) (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-72821-029-2
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: March 30, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2021
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