Another chortleworthy outing from Korman. (Fiction. 10-14)
In the sequel to Ungifted (2012), Noah Youkilis gets himself kicked out of the Academy for Scholastic Distinction to see what it’s like at regular middle school.
Noah’s best friend, Donovan Curtis, can’t understand why such a genius would come to Hardcastle Middle School on purpose. He would be a target, a “wedgie looking for a place to happen.” Noah is 4 feet 11 inches tall, the size of a fourth-grader, with the posture of an ”oversize praying mantis.” He has a 200-plus IQ, a grating voice, and a “rocket-scientist vocabulary.” But Noah feels that “being a genius isn’t hard.…What’s hard is being normal.” He’s never had to work to get grades before, so now he goes out of his way to pick activities he’s bad at so he can improve at something, such as wood shop and cheerleading. But when Donovan saves a runaway truck from crashing into Megan Mercury’s house, Noah takes credit for the heroic feat and nearly loses Donovan as a friend. As in Ungifted, Korman uses multiple first-person points of view to reveal characters’ responses to Noah and to show how characters change when supergifted Noah becomes superhero Noah. The narrative moves swiftly and even becomes madcap toward the end as Donovan regains a friendship and becomes a hero in his own right. Characters are white by default.
Another chortleworthy outing from Korman. (Fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: April 3, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-256384-2
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 21, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2018
Still pedal to the metal, but running on fumes at this point.
Young bandits complete personal quests while creating immense explosions and massive havoc in this high-action trilogy closer.
Playing to his strengths, Stroud strings together a bank robbery, an ambush that nearly sees Scarlett McCain eaten by cannibalistic Tainted, and other increasingly lurid, violent set pieces, propelling a plot that moves along at a breakneck pace to a climactic battle. In interspersed chapters, neither Thomas (the little brother Scarlett was forced to abandon and has been seeking for eight years) nor the faithful sidekick he acquires come off as more than pale reflections of the lead duo as the author moves them mechanically through contrived adventures. Scarlett’s own sidekick Albert Browne’s search for the secret prison where he and other children with psychic powers have been ruthlessly trained is similarly cursorily wrapped up. And what of the series’ broader ongoing struggles with the local slave trade and the corrupt Faith Houses? Here, too, the author drops the ball at the end. Readers who delight in titanic explosions, swashbuckling young troublemakers escaping through hails of gunfire, and foes coming to squishy ends will be pleased; those who like stories that offer more definite closure and their heroes and supporting characters to show meaningful growth, less so. Some racial diversity is cued in the cast surrounding the white leads.
Still pedal to the metal, but running on fumes at this point. (maps) (Science fiction. 10-13)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780593707364
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A heartfelt portrait of the complexities of grief and the indomitable human spirit.
In the Newbery Honor–winning author’s latest, a Harlem teen copes with overwhelming pain while learning how to open up.
Sage’s 13th birthday was the worst day of her life; it was the day her best friend, Angel, was killed after a hit-and-run. In the wake of Angel’s death, Sage takes part in grief counseling with four other students; she connects with Ebony and DD, whose losses were sudden as well. Sage grapples with conflicting emotions, but the person who could help her sort them out is gone forever, leaving her convinced it was her fault. She wishes her life had concrete answers, like the math problems she enjoys. Instead, new friendships and a possible romance raise more questions. Finally, all her pent-up anger and sadness spill over, and Sage can longer hold in her feelings. Much to her surprise, speaking honestly helps lift the veil of sadness and sets her on a path toward healing. Watson has crafted an achingly beautiful novel that masterfully captures the realities of loss—the constant reminders of what life used to be like, the guilt that haunts Sage, and the anguish of “talking about someone you love in past tense.” Sage’s voice, rendered in a mix of prose and free verse, is visceral and wholly authentic, while the supporting characters are also richly and fully realized. Characters are cued Black.
A heartfelt portrait of the complexities of grief and the indomitable human spirit. (author’s note, resources) (Verse fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9781547605897
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2025
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