Some readers will enjoy it, especially those with little experience in the genre. It’s all been done, better. (Supernatural...
This third book in Shield’s continuing supernatural series (Immortal, 2009, etc.) can feed the needs only of those who crave 100-percent full gothic fiction.
With good and evil witches’ covens, an ancient Stonehenge-like circle, a magically sealed attic room, an abbey turned school and romance both natural and supernatural, the author does her best to include every convention of the genre. This book focuses on Sarah, a part-gypsy–turned-lady student and member of the good witches’ coven, who struggles to keep the group together when best friend Evie tries to bow out. The main bad witch, thought vanquished in the previous installment, returns to wreak havoc. Havoc includes, in the most imaginative portion of the book, tempting Sarah into mysterious caves where gnomelike underground rock creatures can capture her and hold her forever. Gothic conventions continue as riders gallop wildly across the moors, ghosts appear when summoned and every kiss equals an out-of-body experience. Place names typically include y’s or double f’s or both, as in “Wyldcliffe Abbey School for Young Ladies,” the novel’s setting. Emotions, romances and dramatic situations turn on and off with the sudden intensity of a melodramatic silent movie from the 19-teens, a scenario also called to mind by much of the dialogue.
Some readers will enjoy it, especially those with little experience in the genre. It’s all been done, better. (Supernatural romance. 12 & up)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-06-200039-2
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2011
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and...
A deliciously creepy page-turning gem from first-time writer and illustrator Brosgol finds brooding teenager Anya trying to escape the past—both her own and the ghost haunting her.
Anya feels out of place at her preppy private school; embarrassed by her Russian heritage, she has worked hard to lose her accent and to look more like everyone else. After a particularly frustrating morning at the bus stop, Anya storms off, only to accidentally fall down a well. Down in the dark hole, she meets Emily, a ghost who claims to be a murder victim trapped down in the dank abyss for 90 years. With Emily’s help, Anya manages to escape, though once free, she learns that Emily has traveled out with her. At first, Emily seems like the perfect friend; however, once her motives become clear, Anya learns that “perfect” may only be an illusion. A moodily atmospheric spectrum of grays washes over the clean, tidy panels, setting a distinct stage before the first words appear. Brosgol’s tight storytelling invokes the chilling feeling of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline (2002), though for a decidedly older set.
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and outward appearance. (Graphic supernatural fiction. 12 & up)Pub Date: June 7, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-59643-552-0
Page Count: 224
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: April 18, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2011
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations.
Magic, mystery, and love intertwine and invite in this newest take on the “enchanted circus” trope.
Sisters raised by their abusive father, a governor of a colonial backwater in a world vaguely reminiscent of the late 18th century, Scarlett and Donatella each long for something more. Scarlett, olive-skinned, dark of hair and attitude, longs for Caraval, the fabled, magical circus helmed by the possibly evil Master Legend Santos, while blonde, sunny Tella finds comfort in drink and the embraces of various men. A slightly awkward start, with inconsistencies of attitude and setting, rapidly smooths out when they, along with handsome “golden-brown” sailor Julian, flee to Caraval on the eve of Scarlett’s arranged marriage. Tella disappears, and Scarlett must navigate a nighttime world of magic to find her. Caraval delights the senses: beautiful and scary, described in luscious prose, this is a show readers will wish they could enter. Dresses can be purchased for secrets or days of life; clocks can become doors; bridges move: this is an inventive and original circus, laced with an edge of horror. A double love story, one sensual romance and the other sisterly loyalty, anchors the plot, but the real star here is Caraval and its secrets.
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations. (Fantasy. 14 & up)Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-250-09525-1
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2016
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