A tale of love, family, and friendship, tailor-made for readers who believe in the mystery and magic of the theater.
Quin hopes her drama-class senior project can save a local theater and change the course of history.
“At Verona High, drama is for the shy.” Quin and her classmates in Advanced Drama are “senior nobodies” who would prefer to blend into the scenery. But their teacher (who happens to be Quin’s mom) wants to use their senior project to save the Avery, a local theater in their small town that was shuttered 70 years ago after a pair of star-crossed lovers, Emma and Nick, died on its stage. Reluctantly, the class begins to work on the project—a production of Anything Goes—with Quin as the director. At the same time, Quin learns that the Avery is somehow beginning to revive itself. She also discovers that her classmates Cass and Dylan are reliving the doomed romance of Emma and Nick. In Quin, Schindler has crafted a quick-witted, white protagonist who draws readers into her search for answers about her family’s past as well as the Avery’s. Scenes set in the past are rich with authentic voices and period detail, and Schindler’s crisp prose flows easily between the past and the present. Even when it seems impossible for the show to go on, Schindler’s imaginative story will have readers rooting for Quin and her classmates to “break a leg.”
A tale of love, family, and friendship, tailor-made for readers who believe in the mystery and magic of the theater. (Paranormal thriller. 13-18)Pub Date: May 17, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-222023-3
Page Count: 304
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An intimate portrait of female friendship laced with literal and metaphorical magic.
Getting through high school requires more than a little bit of magic.
On prom night, when Alexis accidentally kills Josh Harper, she panics and summons her five best friends—Paulie, Roya, Iris, Marcelina, and Maryam—for help. Alexis knows she can rely on them, not only because of their unshakeable friendship, but because of what they have in common: the ability to do magic. Attempting to make things right, the girls cast a spell but are left with a disconnected collection of Josh’s body parts, including a cold, glassy version of his heart. They divide them up and agree to dispose of what is left of Josh, piece by piece. Alexis insists on witnessing each body-part-releasing ceremony, in the process exploring her bonds with her friends—and, in one case, feelings that go far beyond friendship. But as their relationships strengthen, the spell takes its toll: Every time they lose a body part, the girls lose something too, forcing them to rethink how they define themselves and each other. This work of speculative fiction is a profoundly thoughtful exploration of female friendship, love, growth, and identity. The fully realized characters are diverse in ethnicity, sexuality, and gender identity. While the final two-thirds of the book are beautifully paced, balancing introspection and character development with plot, the first third at times feels weighed down by explanation and backstory.
Pub Date: March 3, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5344-3287-1
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Dec. 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
An action-packed story expanding the world of women pirates.
An “assassin among pirates” embarks on a mysterious, thrilling recovery mission.
In this stand-alone companion to the Daughter of the Pirate King duology, Queen Alosa asks 18-year-old dark-brown-skinned Sorinda to lead search efforts for a missing vessel in uncharted waters north of the Seventeen Isles. “I’m not who you send to save people,” reflects the austere assassin to herself in hopes that the request will prove to be a playful ruse. Though the queen’s invitation seems in conflict with her hitwoman duties, Sorinda accepts the risky endeavor and subsequently receives an accompanying crew peppered with familiar faces. Kearan—an excellent sailor tasked by the queen to assist Sorinda—is someone she would prefer to evade despite his desire to forge a reconnection. Once the expedition is underway, the voyage slowly grows into an adventurous rumpus, beginning with eerie disappearances and a gripping sea battle that forces Sorinda and her crew to prepare for whatever or whoever is lurking in the treacherous seas. Themes of vulnerability and self-possession dominate the story as the guarded protagonist—usually cloaked in secrecy—steadily reveals more of herself. Seemingly inspired by the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise, Levenseller largely captures a similar blend of humor, fantasy, romance, and action. The defining difference here—a focus on women characters—is a fine attribute.
An action-packed story expanding the world of women pirates. (chapter annotated by the author) (Adventure. 13-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9781250864970
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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