Underwhelming.
As deadly radiation spread across Eastern Europe in the wake of the explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear plant, hundreds of thousands of people were forcibly evacuated from the surrounding area—but a few stubborn souls refused to leave the villages they’d rooted their lives and livelihoods in.
Bate’s graphic novel begins with a fictionalized account of two such women: sisters Anna and Klara, who struggle to make a home in the toxic, isolated environment. The story then takes a turn for the fantastical when a pack of wolves brings a silent, savage child to the sisters’ doorstep. As they care for the child and attempt to reassimilate them into human society, questions loom large: Who is this child? What happened to them, to their family? And what will happen to them now? This harried, ephemeral tale seems written with some lofty aims in mind: educating young readers on the fallout of the Chernobyl disaster and efforts to rewild lands damaged by human interference, posing questions driving at the “meaning of home” and “the place of humans in the natural world.” Unfortunately, the result falls rather short of those aims; the characters and plot threads are thinly, almost flightily sketched, making it difficult for readers to become invested in them. The decision, too, to utilize the “wild child” trope, without any acknowledgement of that trope’s storied connotations, is a strange one: It’s not precisely detrimental to the concept at hand, but it’s certainly not necessary. The story’s major redeeming factor is its art, all scratchy dark lines and muted colors, providing a suitably haunting yet hopeful atmosphere. Characters present as White.
Underwhelming. (author's note, map) (Graphic historical fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-913074-71-5
Page Count: 56
Publisher: Otter-Barry
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2021
Blend epic adventure with gothic good and evil, and add a dash of sly wit for a tale that keeps readers turning the page,...
Light and darkness have never clashed with such fierce majesty and eloquent damnation.
Murdock weaves an engrossing tale set in medieval France, filled with charismatic characters, daring deeds, and more sinister duplicity than a certain serpent in the Garden of Eden. The titular Boy is thought a simpleton, a disfigured child who has lived a life of ridicule. Accepting of his sorry lot in life, the humble servant wants nothing more than to live in the shadows and avoid the ill-tempered attention of the likes of town bully Ox. That is, he accepts it until the arrival of the shadowy pilgrim, Secundus, enlarges Boy’s world beyond the small boundaries of his village and introduces him to a world filled with greed, hunger, joy, deceit, and victory. Along with a story that unravels to reveal that not everything in the world is as it appears, Murdock delivers a wickedly fun-filled quest that twists and turns with lyrical fire. Boy ponders: “Pilgrim he might be but this man has sin stitched into his soul.” The story is, among other things, an exploration of religion, Secundus’ thieving quest for relics a counterpoint to Boy’s stalwart faith.
Blend epic adventure with gothic good and evil, and add a dash of sly wit for a tale that keeps readers turning the page, shaking their heads, and feeling the power of choice. (Historical fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-268620-6
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 29, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2017
Don’t miss this brave hero as she confronts anti-immigrant hatred in a timely historical novel.
Sixth grader Mia Tang returns to battle racism in this thrilling sequel to the Asian/Pacific American Award–winning Front Desk (2018).
The Tangs, who emigrated from China when Mia was little, are now the proud owners of the Calivista Motel. Mia works the front desk along with her friends Lupe Garcia, who is Mexican, and Jason Yao, who is Chinese. Her world quickly becomes clouded by the upcoming election, in which California’s Prop 187, which would ban undocumented immigrants from access to health care and public schooling, is on the ballot. The author’s note highlights personal experiences with racism and provides additional information on this historic vote. The storyline expertly weaves together the progress and setbacks Mia experiences as her family continues to work, seemingly endlessly on the edge of poverty. Lupe reveals that her family is undocumented, creating a portrait of fear as her father is jailed. The impending vote has significant consequences for all immigrants, not just the Garcias, as racial threats increase. With the help of a cast of strong supporting characters, Mia bravely uses her voice and her pen to change opinions—with family, friends, teachers, and even voters. The lessons she learns helping her friends become the key to addressing racism, as one wise friend advises: “You gotta listen, you gotta care, and most importantly, you gotta keep trying.”
Don’t miss this brave hero as she confronts anti-immigrant hatred in a timely historical novel. (author’s note) (Historical fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-338-59138-5
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 16, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2020
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