An engaging YA fantasy/romance adventure.
A young woman gains magical powers and discovers a secret, fantastic world in George’s debut novel.
British university student Avery “Ava” Gray studies international business with her friends and lives a fairly ordinary life. But when a bizarre incident at Hayven Books nearly kills her, Ava’s destiny changes forever. Ava is warned by an “old woman…[with] blue, vein-lined eyelids...arms [laid] out limp with life within them” of the coming of “a terrible darkness” if she doesn’t act to turn the tide. While recovering, she encounters the striking Theodore-James “Theo” Connors and the mysterious Jane Hartleigh, and subsequently discovers that she has strange new powers. Ava, it turns out, is a “gifter”: a human with magical abilities beyond those of ordinary people. Her new friends introduce her to the mystic city of Hayven, which exists in the human world but separate from it, and she soon becomes part of its society. But with her new path comes great danger, as she struggles to help protect Hayven from sinister forces, even as she deals with her growing feelings for Theo. Meanwhile, it seems that the line between the normal world and the magical one isn’t as solid as it had first appeared. The premise of a likable reader-surrogate discovering hidden powers and life’s purpose is common by now. What George brings to her version is a sort of writerly charisma: her narrative style is inviting, and she demonstrates a good sense of character and pacing. Even Theo, the magical boyfriend, transcends the limits of such stock figures; like most of the cast, he’s shown to have an inner life and thinks and feels about subjects other than the main character and plot. The dialogue is natural and effective, and the overall storyline is reasonably inventive. The author also wisely does just enough worldbuilding to tell the story, rather than offering a travelogue of her fictional world. As with many novels in this genre, it’s the first in a planned series, and in this case, further installments would be welcome.
An engaging YA fantasy/romance adventure.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 302
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Aug. 7, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An enjoyable picture book that addresses important issues in a kid-friendly way without being preachy.
Willenbrock’s heartwarming debut picture book is the autobiographical story of how she came to share her home with a special shelter dog.
Told from the perspective of Marshall, Willenbrock’s dog, this tale tells of his unpleasant life in the home of a dog hoarder, where food for the dogs was so scarce that they fought each other at mealtime. In one of these fights, Marshall’s front leg was broken and his face was badly bitten. When animal rescuers finally found out about the animal hoarder and took the dogs away, Marshall was in such sorry shape that they didn’t know if he would make it. He ended up losing his damaged front leg and his face remained badly scarred, yet he describes the compassion of the humane society workers who helped him learn how to walk and run on three legs. He meets his new “mom” (owner) and adjusts to a life of freedom with her and her other dog, Mooshy. Though life is good, Marshall is insecure and nervous about how other dogs and people will react to the fact that he has only three legs and a big scar on his face, but he’s pleasantly surprised by the kindness of others. Heimbaugh’s realistic colored-pencil illustrations help bring Marshall’s story to life. Due to wordiness and the use of some bigger words—celebrity, socialize, limitations—this book will most likely work better as a read-aloud with school-age children. It also lends itself to discussions about the humane treatment of animals and discussions about bullying.
An enjoyable picture book that addresses important issues in a kid-friendly way without being preachy.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0615666259
Page Count: 40
Publisher: The Marshall Movement
Review Posted Online: Oct. 9, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Unanswered questions and heavy-handed writing drain intrigue from this not-so-spooky story.
Three friends unravel old secrets lurking beneath the surface of a picture-perfect town in this young adult mystery.
Fallon and her best friend, Blair, live in the town of Whitford, a “sort of old fashioned” place where “everyone knows everyone else.” Nothing ever goes wrong there, except for local 16-year-old girls’ penchant for drowning in Whitford Pond on their 16th birthdays. That is, nothing ever goes wrong until Blair, Fallon and their new friend Lila start investigating the drownings as part of a history project. Soon after the girls paddle out to the spooky island at the middle of the pond where its victims are buried, Fallon discovers that she’s related to the pond’s first victim: Elizabeth Mason, who was engaged to the prosperous son of the town jeweler before her supposed suicide in 1750. By poking around the town historical society and badgering Fallon’s lively grandmother, Nana, the girls realize that something sinister lurks beneath Whitford’s bucolic surface. It’s only when the trio heads to the fourth floor of Whitford’s public library in search of A Genealogy of the Noble Families of Whitford: A History that they realize their quest is putting them in danger. Blair and Fallon’s friendship feels comfortable and credible, although the addition of “exotic” Lila seems like a strained plot device rather than a real-life event. Indeed, much of the plotting is convenient rather than clever; the girls’ discoveries primarily result from pushing Nana to give them information or snooping around Nana’s house—and the developments that aren’t related to Nana are foreshadowed so heavily that they come as no surprise. Another distraction: Every time that the inhabitants of Whitford scream or emphasize a turn of phrase, Fredo uses capital letters. They’re are unnecessary, for example, when Fallon says, “I JUST HAD THE BEST IDEA EVER!”
Unanswered questions and heavy-handed writing drain intrigue from this not-so-spooky story.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 172
Publisher: iUniverse
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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