Brilliant: a vision of history before the victors wrote it.
Two girls of very different degree are brought together unwillingly by the English conquest of Wales.
Cecily is in a pet at having to leave the home of her youth—where her mother is buried—and relocate to the Welsh frontier, but her father is a younger son. He will take a burgage in Caernarvon, recently conquered by Edward I. In exchange for a home, he will help to keep the King's peace. Cecily hates Caernarvon. She hates its weather, its primitive appointments and its natives, especially Gwinny, the servant girl who doesn't obey, and the young man who stares at her. It would be easy to dismiss this book as a Karen Cushman knockoff; Cecily's voice certainly has a pertness that recalls Catherine, Called Birdy. But there's more of an edge, conveyed both in the appalling ease with which Cecily dismisses the Welsh as subhuman and in Gwinny's fierce parallel narrative. "I could kill the brat a hundred different ways." Never opting for the easy characterization, debut author Coats compellingly re-creates this occupation from both sides. It all leads to an ending so brutal and unexpected it will take readers' breath away even as it makes them think hard about the title.
Brilliant: a vision of history before the victors wrote it. (historical note) (Historical fiction. 12 & up)Pub Date: April 17, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-547-68837-4
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: Feb. 21, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A warmly entertaining story at the nexus of teen relationships and activism.
An African American teen activist is drawn to a young man she meets accidentally.
Marva Sheridan was passionate about politics long before she was able to vote herself. It was not enough to anticipate voting for the first time, she’s also worked to make sure that others did so as well. When she witnesses Duke Crenshaw, another teen, being turned away on Election Day, she springs into action. The two spend the day together as Duke attempts to work out his registration issues and get to his drumming gig. As they get to know each other, bits of their stories are shared: Marva’s tensions with Alec, her White boyfriend who has decided not to vote, and Duke’s family, who is still trying to cope following the death of his older brother. Duke’s White mother and Black father have divorced, and both parents are extremely protective of him and his younger sister. In addition, Marva’s cat Selma, an internet star known as Eartha Kitty, has gone missing. Colbert skillfully manages both serious and playful elements throughout the novel. Marva has an infectious personality, and her politics and identity are realistically portrayed. Duke’s grief, still raw, is palpable and will engage readers’ empathy. The chapters feature alternating first-person narration, giving the novel an intimate feel. Secondary characters add rich texture to and understanding of the primary characters.
A warmly entertaining story at the nexus of teen relationships and activism. (Fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: July 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-368-05329-7
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 1, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2020
A worthy conclusion to a story that is, at its core, about love and letting go.
Tea prepares to make the greatest sacrifice in this impassioned finale to the Bone Witch series.
In the present, Fox angrily searches for his bone witch sister, Tea, who will stop at nothing to save him from the half-life he has been living since she raised him from the dead. In the past, Tea is on a quest for First Harvest, the magical plant she needs to revive her brother, which she can only use after acquiring shadowglass. Conjuring shadowglass requires a black heart, and Tea’s darkens as she continues to wield dark magic to achieve her goals. More and more lose faith in her when she becomes plagued with haunting visions and, in her sleep, kills an innocent with her own hands. But someone is using a blight rune to transform people into terrifying daevalike monsters, and it may very well be the same traitor in Tea’s inner circle who has been poisoning her. Though the storylines never truly converge, readers gain insight into Tea’s destructive choices and their aftereffects. Exhaustive explanations of asha history are important to the plot but weighty. Transgender Likh’s exploration of her identity honestly complements Tea’s own journey toward self-discovery, and readers will root for both their romances. Characters have a variety of skin tones, but race is not significant in this world.
A worthy conclusion to a story that is, at its core, about love and letting go. (maps, kingdom guide) (Fantasy. 13-adult)Pub Date: March 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4926-6060-6
Page Count: 480
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Nov. 12, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2018
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
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.
