by Hugh Montgomery & illustrated by Nick Poullis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2002
Ghost ships, treachery, murder, pirates, treasure, and one man’s journey through time seeking redemption make this a richly satisfying high seas adventure. When Queen Elizabeth hires Lord Hunter to conduct a secret peace mission to the King of Spain, the man he hires as captain of his ship happens to be Bruno, a man who had betrayed his people many years before. He saved Lord Hunter’s life and still must perform two more acts of atonement for his sins. He must prevent a betrayal to balance his own betrayal, and he must find a way to give wealth back to the people. Standing in his way is his nemesis, pirate/merchant Mad Dog Morgan, who is out to poison the King of Spain and, thereby, consolidate his power. The story is told in verse that doesn’t exactly flow trippingly off the tongue, but the exciting plot, atmospheric pen-and-ink line drawings on every page, and the handsome design make this a tale to remember. The well-structured narrative, and action that moves seamlessly through the centuries, nicely anchor this story of fate and redemption. Fans of Iain Lawrence’s High Seas trilogy and Brian Jacques’s Castaways of the Flying Dutchman will love this. (Fiction. 9+)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2002
ISBN: 0-7636-1902-7
Page Count: 216
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2002
Share your opinion of this book
by Elizabeth Acevedo ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 5, 2020
A standing ovation.
Awards & Accolades
Our Verdict
GET IT
Kirkus Reviews'
Best Books Of 2020
Kirkus Prize
finalist
New York Times Bestseller
IndieBound Bestseller
Tackles family secrets, toxic masculinity, and socio-economic differences with incisive clarity and candor.
Camino Rios lives in the Dominican Republic and yearns to go to Columbia University in New York City, where her father works most of the year. Yahaira Rios, who lives in Morningside Heights, hasn’t spoken to her dad since the previous summer, when she found out he has another wife in the Dominican Republic. Their lives collide when this man, their dad, dies in an airplane crash with hundreds of other passengers heading to the island. Each protagonist grieves the tragic death of their larger-than-life father and tries to unravel the tangled web of lies he kept secret for almost 20 years. The author pays reverent tribute to the lives lost in a similar crash in 2001. The half sisters are vastly different—Yahaira is dark skinned, a chess champion who has a girlfriend; Camino is lighter skinned, a talented swimmer who helps her curandera aunt deliver neighborhood babies. Despite their differences, they slowly forge a tenuous bond. The book is told in alternating chapters with headings counting how many days have passed since the fateful event. Acevedo balances the two perspectives with ease, contrasting the girls’ environments and upbringings. Camino’s verses read like poetic prose, flowing and straightforward. Yahaira’s sections have more breaks and urgent, staccato beats. Every line is laced with betrayal and longing as the teens struggle with loving someone despite his imperfections.
A standing ovation. (Verse novel. 14-18)Pub Date: May 5, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-06-288276-9
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
Share your opinion of this book
More by Elizabeth Acevedo
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
by Elizabeth Acevedo ; illustrated by Andrea Pippins
BOOK REVIEW
by Mahogany L. Browne & Elizabeth Acevedo & Olivia Gatwood ; illustrated by Theodore Taylor III
More About This Book
PERSPECTIVES
by Kathleen Glasgow ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 30, 2016
This grittily provocative debut explores the horrors of self-harm and the healing power of artistic expression.
Awards & Accolades
Likes
48
Our Verdict
GET IT
New York Times Bestseller
After surviving a suicide attempt, a fragile teen isn't sure she can endure without cutting herself.
Seventeen-year-old Charlie Davis, a white girl living on the margins, thinks she has little reason to live: her father drowned himself; her bereft and abusive mother kicked her out; her best friend, Ellis, is nearly brain dead after cutting too deeply; and she's gone through unspeakable experiences living on the street. After spending time in treatment with other young women like her—who cut, burn, poke, and otherwise hurt themselves—Charlie is released and takes a bus from the Twin Cities to Tucson to be closer to Mikey, a boy she "like-likes" but who had pined for Ellis instead. But things don't go as planned in the Arizona desert, because sweet Mikey just wants to be friends. Feeling rejected, Charlie, an artist, is drawn into a destructive new relationship with her sexy older co-worker, a "semifamous" local musician who's obviously a junkie alcoholic. Through intense, diarylike chapters chronicling Charlie's journey, the author captures the brutal and heartbreaking way "girls who write their pain on their bodies" scar and mar themselves, either succumbing or surviving. Like most issue books, this is not an easy read, but it's poignant and transcendent as Charlie breaks more and more before piecing herself back together.
This grittily provocative debut explores the horrors of self-harm and the healing power of artistic expression. (author’s note) (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-101-93471-5
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2016
Share your opinion of this book
More by Kathleen Glasgow
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.