Slow to get going, but ultimately wins through to a hard-fought triumph.
Earth, the outlying colony of an overextended alien galactic empire, falls victim to interstellar raiders in this sequel to Exo (2017).
The first tentative steps toward reconciliation between the zhree overlords and the human resistance known as Sapience are thrown off-kilter by the sudden announcement from the Mur Erzen Commonwealth’s capital that the zhree will be withdrawing for strategic reasons—leaving Earth vulnerable to the Rii, a nomadic, planet-destroying zhree offshoot. Donovan Reyes, a human soldier who has been Hardened with retractable armor and raised since childhood in the group-oriented zhree culture, is pitched into the middle of increasingly violent events and unwillingly finds himself a go-between, desperately seeking common ground between his own species and the zhree colonizers who, having themselves been born on Earth, are reluctant to leave. As it turns out, Donovan isn’t the only member of his closely knit unit who nurses hidden connections with Sapience. All the wrestling with guilty secrets and divided loyalties makes for a talky first half, but readers who weather the angst are rewarded with a string of brutal, intense action scenes. Human diversity is indicated by names rather than physical descriptions.
Slow to get going, but ultimately wins through to a hard-fought triumph. (Science fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: May 29, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-338-13909-9
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 4, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
Part cautionary tale, part juicy love story, this will appeal to action and adventure fans who aren't yet sick of the genre.
A dystopic thriller joins the crowded shelves but doesn't distinguish itself.
Juliette was torn from her home and thrown into an asylum by The Reestablishment, a militaristic regime in control since an environmental catastrophe left society in ruins. Juliette’s journal holds her tortured thoughts in an attempt to repress memories of the horrific act that landed her in a cell. Mysteriously, Juliette’s touch kills. After months of isolation, her captors suddenly give her a cellmate—Adam, a drop-dead gorgeous guy. Adam, it turns out, is immune to her deadly touch. Unfortunately, he’s a soldier under orders from Warner, a power-hungry 19-year-old. But Adam belongs to a resistance movement; he helps Juliette escape to their stronghold, where she finds that she’s not the only one with superhuman abilities. The ending falls flat as the plot devolves into comic-book territory. Fast-paced action scenes convey imminent danger vividly, but there’s little sense of a broader world here. Overreliance on metaphor to express Juliette’s jaw-dropping surprise wears thin: “My mouth is sitting on my kneecaps. My eyebrows are dangling from the ceiling.” For all of her independence and superpowers, Juliette never moves beyond her role as a pawn in someone else’s schemes.
Part cautionary tale, part juicy love story, this will appeal to action and adventure fans who aren't yet sick of the genre. (Science fiction. 12 & up)Pub Date: Nov. 15, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-06-208548-1
Page Count: 352
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: April 5, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2011
SEEN & HEARD
A magical story with a classic Disney feel exploring love, friendship, and leading amid hardship.
Shortly before the new queen’s coronation, a monster wreaks havoc, forcing a young fairy princess to intervene at her own risk.
In Pixie Hollow, the Never Fairies of Spring, Summer, and Autumn work to create seasons for the humans on the Mainland, while the fairies of Winter remain apart in the Winter Woods. Clarion, a governing-talent fairy who’s soon to take over as queen of Pixie Hollow, often looks wonderingly at the Winter Woods. But crossing the border is against the rules set forth by her mentor, Queen Elvina. When a monster from Winter breaks free and enters Spring, Clarion bristles at Elvina’s dismissal. Determined to be involved, she secretly travels to Winter, meets with Milori, the Warden of the Winter Woods, and learns that the land is nothing like what she’s heard, making her wonder what else the queen has been untruthful about. Together Milori and Clarion work to discover the secrets of Pixie Hollow, which may save them—or lead to death. Set in a magical place of flowers and pixie dust, this story considers the control we have over the roles we’re assigned. Clarion is a beautifully complex character—strong yet insecure, lovable due to her willingness to prioritize relationships over rules. Themes of fear, forbidden love, and good vs. evil are present in this fast-paced, engaging tale. Main characters are cued white.
A magical story with a classic Disney feel exploring love, friendship, and leading amid hardship. (Fantasy. 12-18)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9781368098458
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Disney Press
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2024
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