A riveting fantasy sequel that skillfully expands the boundaries of its predecessor.
In this second installment of a YA fantasy series, a new evil emerges in a magical realm, and three visiting teens must once again embrace their heroic roles.
In two weeks, Ben Young will be graduating from South Point Middle School. He and his best friend, Marcus Cooper, plan to become “cool” over the summer before starting at Trinity High. Ben worries that his girlfriend, Avery Hopewell, can’t possibly like him in the waking world after seeing his bravery in Meridia, the magical realm that the teens visit in their sleep. Later, at the school year’s final dance, Avery and Ben enjoy themselves—until the fire alarm sounds. During the panic, Ben faints. He wakes up in Meridia with Avery and Marcus in a boat rowed by their elf friend, Tamerlane. Also present is Wolf, one of the flying dogs called dragonwoofs native to the realm. The group is soon captured by the Red Army, now commanded by Marissa, who, like Ben and his friends, is a weed—someone transported to Meridia from the waking world. Though Marissa has taken over for the sinister, deceased Sovereign, a worse threat imperils the land. The Ghastly Three, led by the Supreme, want to assemble five artifacts into the World Builder and remake Meridia in their horrid image. For this engaging sequel, Massey once more carefully balances true adolescent drama with high-stakes fantasy. After Marcus succeeds in fending off school bullies—and is accused of being one himself—his parents decide to send him to a “behavioral fitness camp.” Meanwhile, Avery, who lives in a group home, is adopted by a family living in faraway Oregon. Perhaps saddest of all are Marissa’s real-life travails, which involve a home shattered by mental illness. Ben’s potential as a rare mage who can wield opposing elements (like fire and ice) simultaneously carries the gripping narrative into familiar chosen one terrain. Despite beautiful moments, as when “a soft white light seemed to emanate from the base of the glass trees, illuminating the entire forest,” this is a dour series entry. An eerie cliffhanger primes fans for the next volume.
A riveting fantasy sequel that skillfully expands the boundaries of its predecessor.Pub Date: Oct. 12, 2021
ISBN: 9798525339774
Page Count: 270
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Sept. 11, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in.
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
This grittily provocative debut explores the horrors of self-harm and the healing power of artistic expression.
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
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