A complex, tightly plotted series opener that should enchant audiences.
In this YA fantasy debut, twins living in separate foster homes learn that magic is real when their father re-enters their lives.
Thirteen-year-old Peter hasn’t seen his twin sister, Rory, in seven years. Though both live in the town of Rutherford, he’s fostered by the abusive Judge Talbert, while Rory is with the Gallaghers. Peter toils away for Talbert, digging in tunnels to find “items of great power” left behind by “forgotten Gods” like Orion. Rory, meanwhile, enjoys a healthy adolescence, learning taekwondo and perfecting her Halloween costume. One morning, after dreaming about a “phoenix-like bird” that leads him to Rory, Peter wakes to find the creature outside his window. The bird next appears inside his attic bedroom, glowing and asking him to follow it. Then downstairs, a man named Kyros arrives, claiming to be Peter’s father. Talbert sends Kyros packing, and Peter decides to risk a thrashing by following the bird. Rory has similar experiences with a bird and a visit from her supposed father, which ultimately revolve around a dilapidated Victorian house that’s haunted in a way nobody expects. In this kaleidoscopic series opener, Rose juxtaposes a variety of genre elements to quirky effect. She infuses the orphan child travails of Harry Potter with Greek myth, ultimately bringing the twins to the planet Inara, where wizardry is the tool of a usurper to the throne. The author keeps the twins apart and ensnared by different alien factions and does a superb job of maintaining the tension as to which side is truly villainous. Peter’s otherworldly father, the Researcher, is tough but caring when he tells him, “You have skills other boys don’t—so stop being a weakling and step into your power.” The prose should be manna for YA action fans, as when Rory falls: “Wind rushed through her ears, drowning out all other sounds. Her stomach clenched, like the first drop on a roller coaster that never ended.” Access to secret tomes and the threat of imprisoned evil forces leave room for a sequel to flourish.
A complex, tightly plotted series opener that should enchant audiences.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 383
Publisher: Pleadine Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 3, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2017
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
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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