A formulaic and simplistic high-fantasy adventure that never truly lives up to its potential.
A young girl’s journey from servant to rebel leader.
In Paerolia, human, elven, and mixed-descent male children are chosen to bond with dragons to become Riders, although true political power is held by judges. Half-human, half-elf Andra is an indentured servant in the Hall of Riders—where she one day accidentally interrupts a Pairing ceremony, preventing a hatchling dragon from bonding with its match. Andra is sent away to the Chief Judge’s manor, where she endures a year of torment before being kidnapped by a team of assassins led by their alluring leader, Kael. On her journey to the rebel camp, Andra meets Tiri, a young dragon whose mind speaks directly to hers, and she learns that she has magic of her own. Swan’s debut has enough material for an entire trilogy packed into a stand-alone novel. Andra’s off-page rape and on-page torture as well as her unfettered rise to become the most powerful magic yielder, fighter, and rebel leader, as well as a Rider, are all dealt with superficially. The potentially complex political background of the story is glossed over in exchange for two stereotypical villains. The main character is assumed white, and some secondary characters, including the romantic interest, Kael, are described as having golden-brown skin.
A formulaic and simplistic high-fantasy adventure that never truly lives up to its potential. (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-7653-9299-2
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Tor Teen
Review Posted Online: April 21, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2019
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A thoughtful and thrilling story of life, death, and meaning.
Two teens train to be society-sanctioned killers in an otherwise immortal world.
On post-mortal Earth, humans live long (if not particularly passionate) lives without fear of disease, aging, or accidents. Operating independently of the governing AI (called the Thunderhead since it evolved from the cloud), scythes rely on 10 commandments, quotas, and their own moral codes to glean the population. After challenging Hon. Scythe Faraday, 16-year-olds Rowan Damisch and Citra Terranova reluctantly become his apprentices. Subjected to killcraft training, exposed to numerous executions, and discouraged from becoming allies or lovers, the two find themselves engaged in a fatal competition but equally determined to fight corruption and cruelty. The vivid and often violent action unfolds slowly, anchored in complex worldbuilding and propelled by political machinations and existential musings. Scythes’ journal entries accompany Rowan’s and Citra’s dual and dueling narratives, revealing both personal struggles and societal problems. The futuristic post–2042 MidMerican world is both dystopia and utopia, free of fear, unexpected death, and blatant racism—multiracial main characters discuss their diverse ethnic percentages rather than purity—but also lacking creativity, emotion, and purpose. Elegant and elegiac, brooding but imbued with gallows humor, Shusterman’s dark tale thrusts realistic, likable teens into a surreal situation and raises deep philosophic questions.
A thoughtful and thrilling story of life, death, and meaning. (Science fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: Nov. 29, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4424-7242-6
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 25, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2016
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