Suspenseful and engaging fantasy.
In Nilsen’s YA fantasy novel, a young elf adapts to his new role as a leader as an enemy plots against him.
In this second installment of the author’s fantasy series, teenager Timothy Brennan continues to deal with the recent discovery that he is not a human; rather, he is an elf with some talents of the sídhe, or fairies. In the previous entry, Timothy learned of the existence of elves and his place in their society—he is the seventh son of a seventh son in the lineage of Tuathla (Timothy’s grandmother), the recently deceased ruler of the elves. In addition to his grandmother, Timothy has also lost Aenya, the sídhe who helped him adapt to Sídhlin, the elf world, in the previous book. Aenya was apparently killed by Cadwaladr, an elf who is attempting to take over Sídhlin and was in cahoots with Timothy’s now dead uncle. Cadwaladr enlists the help of a sinister sídhe, Siofra, who infiltrates Sídhlin to assassinate Timothy and any elf elders who stand in his way. But unbeknownst to anyone, Aenya survived in Slaíne, which in human legends was referred to as Eden. The author succeeds at catching readers up with the story so far without resorting to excessive exposition dumps; not everything referenced is explained in detail, but he provides enough information to prevent readers from getting lost. Nilsen writes with a gritty sense of realism and excels at conveying fast-paced action in descriptions of battles and in other set pieces throughout the novel. Timothy is an amusing protagonist; despite his sad backstory, he keeps a sense of humor, often teasing his elf friends by using phrases (like “What up?”) that they do not understand. Still, he has a lot of characteristics stereotypical of a protagonist in a male power fantasy: Before he knew he was an elf, he was “a video game playing, high school geek,” yet he secretly has great power and manages to woo a beautiful sídhe. Still, fans of action-oriented fantasy will find the prose and plot compelling.
Suspenseful and engaging fantasy.Pub Date: Dec. 23, 2025
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 358
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Dec. 22, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
This grittily provocative debut explores the horrors of self-harm and the healing power of artistic expression.
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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