The Little Match Girl finds her way to modern-day Canada in this haunting adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s bleakest fairy tale.
After moving from big-city Montreal to rural Ontario, all Jack wants to do is settle into 12th grade, make some friends, and date a cute girl. Instead he begins seeing visions of a starved matches-selling waif in 19th-century Copenhagen amid a lugubrious fog that makes everything else disappear. As Jack and his new girlfriend, Lucy, race to discover the Match Girl’s hold over them, it becomes clear that the Match Girl doesn’t simply want a visitor. She intends to keep Jack in her world…permanently. In her latest novel, Bennett splits the narration among Jack, the Match Girl (now named Klara), and Lucy, a talented artist whose physical resemblance to Klara is uncanny. The result is an absorbing narrative that tempers its dark subject matter with humor and boasts three white protagonists with distinct personalities, ambitions, and fears. Klara’s interior monologue is particularly intriguing, as it gives nuance and agency to a character known for suffering in silence. Discovering the connection among the protagonists is half the fun of this teen mystery, which also uses Klara’s obsession to remind readers of the damage selfishness and loneliness can cause.
A definite crowd-pleaser for fairy-tale enthusiasts and fantasy lovers. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Jan. 17, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4598-1252-9
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Orca
Review Posted Online: Nov. 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2016
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A treat for mystery readers who enjoy being kept in suspense.
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Everyone believes that Salil Singh killed his girlfriend, Andrea Bell, five years ago—except Pippa Fitz-Amobi.
Pip has known and liked Sal since childhood; he’d supported her when she was being bullied in middle school. For her senior capstone project, Pip researches the disappearance of former Fairview High student Andie, last seen on April 18, 2014, by her younger sister, Becca. The original investigation concluded with most of the evidence pointing to Sal, who was found dead in the woods, apparently by suicide. Andie’s body was never recovered, and Sal was assumed by most to be guilty of abduction and murder. Unable to ignore the gaps in the case, Pip sets out to prove Sal’s innocence, beginning with interviewing his younger brother, Ravi. With his help, Pip digs deeper, unveiling unsavory facts about Andie and the real reason Sal’s friends couldn’t provide him with an alibi. But someone is watching, and Pip may be in more danger than she realizes. Pip’s sleuthing is both impressive and accessible. Online articles about the case and interview transcripts are provided throughout, and Pip’s capstone logs offer insights into her thought processes as new evidence and suspects arise. Jackson’s debut is well-executed and surprises readers with a connective web of interesting characters and motives. Pip and Andie are white, and Sal is of Indian descent.
A treat for mystery readers who enjoy being kept in suspense. (Mystery. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-9848-9636-0
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2019
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Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in.
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Black is back with another dark tale of Faerie, this one set in Faerie and launching a new trilogy.
Jude—broken, rebuilt, fueled by anger and a sense of powerlessness—has never recovered from watching her adoptive Faerie father murder her parents. Human Jude (whose brown hair curls and whose skin color is never described) both hates and loves Madoc, whose murderous nature is true to his Faerie self and who in his way loves her. Brought up among the Gentry, Jude has never felt at ease, but after a decade, Faerie has become her home despite the constant peril. Black’s latest looks at nature and nurture and spins a tale of court intrigue, bloodshed, and a truly messed-up relationship that might be the saving of Jude and the titular prince, who, like Jude, has been shaped by the cruelties of others. Fierce and observant Jude is utterly unaware of the currents that swirl around her. She fights, plots, even murders enemies, but she must also navigate her relationship with her complex family (human, Faerie, and mixed). This is a heady blend of Faerie lore, high fantasy, and high school drama, dripping with description that brings the dangerous but tempting world of Faerie to life.
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in. (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-316-31027-7
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Sept. 25, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2017
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