Starclan willing, this series will continue.
Thoughtful, asthmatic cat Nightpelt is banned—along with most of his elders—from living with the rest of the feral cat tribe Shadowclan—and soon becomes the de facto leader of the exiles.
Jolley and Barry have produced another amazing graphic novel. Warriors fans and new readers alike will enjoy following Nightpelt’s musings and actions as he helps his group figure out how to survive the upcoming Leaf-bare, or winter, and worries over the behavior of Brokenstar—Shadowclan’s new, bullying leader—whom he ultimately has a personal face-off with. In both the text and clean, dramatic, full-color art, the balance between typical cat behavior and the transparently human thoughts, emotions, and even ideologies expressed by the clan cats is exquisitely portrayed. One small example lies in how the storyline integrates the tale of a depressed mother cat, grieving her dead kitten, whose eventual healing is represented by her return to stalking small mammals and contributing their corpses to the community’s food supply. More pointed is the reprehensible idea of kittens as child warriors. While experiencing the exciting plot’s twists and turns, readers will simultaneously ponder larger questions about violence, power, codes of law, community values, metaphysics, and individuals finding their niches. Despite the deep and serious themes, humor abounds—especially in the frequent wordplay that translates common human expressions into feline terms. The satisfying ending hints of further drama.
Starclan willing, this series will continue. (Graphic fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: June 7, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-06-304327-5
Page Count: 224
Publisher: HarperAlley
Review Posted Online: March 15, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2022
A solid debut: fluent, funny and eminently sequel-worthy.
Inventively tweaking a popular premise, Jensen pits two Incredibles-style families with superpowers against each other—until a new challenge rises to unite them.
The Johnsons invariably spit at the mere mention of their hated rivals, the Baileys. Likewise, all Baileys habitually shake their fists when referring to the Johnsons. Having long looked forward to getting a superpower so that he too can battle his clan’s nemeses, Rafter Bailey is devastated when, instead of being able to fly or something else cool, he acquires the “power” to strike a match on soft polyester. But when hated classmate Juanita Johnson turns up newly endowed with a similarly bogus power and, against all family tradition, they compare notes, it becomes clear that something fishy is going on. Both families regard themselves as the heroes and their rivals as the villains. Someone has been inciting them to fight each other. Worse yet, that someone has apparently developed a device that turns real superpowers into silly ones. Teaching themselves on the fly how to get past their prejudice and work together, Rafter, his little brother, Benny, and Juanita follow a well-laid-out chain of clues and deductions to the climactic discovery of a third, genuinely nefarious family, the Joneses, and a fiendishly clever scheme to dispose of all the Baileys and Johnsons at once. Can they carry the day?
A solid debut: fluent, funny and eminently sequel-worthy. (Adventure. 10-12)Pub Date: Jan. 21, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-06-220961-0
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Nov. 1, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
Classic action-packed, monster-fighting fun
It’s been 42 days since the Monster Apocalypse began, and 13-year-old Jack Sullivan, a self-proclaimed “zombie-fighting, monster-slaying tornado of cool” is on a quest to find and rescue his not-so-secret crush, June Del Toro, whether she needs it, wants it, or not.
Jack cobbles together an unlikely but endearing crew, including his scientist best friend, Quint Baker; Dirk Savage, Parker Middle School’s biggest bully; and a pet monster named Rover, to help him save the damsel in distress and complete the “ULTIMATE Feat of Apocalyptic Success.” Middle-grade readers, particularly boys, will find Jack’s pitch-perfect mix of humor, bravado, and self-professed geekiness impossible to resist. His sidekicks are equally entertaining, and it doesn’t hurt that there are also plenty of oozing, drooling, sharp-toothed monsters and zombies and a host of gizmos and gadgets to hook readers and keep them cheering with every turn of the page. Holgate’s illustrations play an integral role in the novel’s success. They not only bring Brallier’s characters to life, but also add depth and detail to the story, making plain just exactly how big Rover is and giving the lie to Jack’s “killer driving.” The marriage of text and illustration serves as a perfect example of what an illustrated novel can and should be.
Classic action-packed, monster-fighting fun (. (Graphic/horror hybrid. 8-12)Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-670-01661-7
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: July 21, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2026 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.
