Effervescent characters bolster this diverting tale that celebrates youthful exuberance.
A tween girl’s newly inherited home comes with mysteries and buried secrets in Loxham’s middle-grade series launch.
Eleven-year-old Londoner Ottillee Bottomly has just inherited a “big old house.” She doesn’t know her late benefactor, who’s surprisingly bequeathed Ottillee all of her worldly goods. The girl would rather not move, as she desperately hopes that her father, a documentarian with a popular TV show who’s been missing for 18 months, will return. But her mother (and trustee of the house) decides they will live in the new home—called Dragondah Hall—which is situated on the opposite side of England, in Cornwall. Maybe it’s not so bad: Ottillee meets a curious boy, Finn, who’s never known his birth parents and whose best friends are Shadow, a bat, and Vixen, a fox. And Cornwall only gets more intriguing, with a castle on a nearby island and such lore as a shapeshifting dragon in a local cave. As the youngsters pick up startling bits of local history that may affect the both of them, Ottillee remains steadfastly wary of the man who’s seemingly schmoozing her mother. Although the titular hero is initially a touch pigheaded, she’s thoroughly charming, even when stubbornly refusing to admit to her mother that their new place has its perks. She’s also humbly intelligent, makes an effort to learn Cornish (which Finn speaks fluently), and regularly dispenses memorable phrases like “bossy-boots” and “pooh on a stick.” The rest of the cast follows suit, from the instantly likable Finn to the perhaps villainous guy whom Ottillee keeps her eye on. Much of this tautly written narrative is given to discovery and exposition; quite a few questions are answered, and there’s even a hint of the supernatural. The action leads to an exciting albeit predictable climax that aptly sets the stage for a sequel.
Effervescent characters bolster this diverting tale that celebrates youthful exuberance.Pub Date: May 4, 2023
ISBN: 9798386432843
Page Count: 292
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An absorbing fantasy centered on a resilient female protagonist facing growth, change, and self-empowerment.
In Florence’s middle-grade fantasy novel, a young girl’s heart is tested in the face of an evil, spreading Darkness.
Eleven-year-old Lydia, “freckle-cheeked and round-eyed, with hair the color of pine bark and fair skin,” is struggling with the knowledge that she has reached the age to apprentice as an herbalist. Lydia is reluctant to leave her beloved, magical Mulberry Glen and her cozy Housetree in the woods—she’ll miss Garder, the Glen’s respected philosopher; her fairy guardian Pit; her human friend Livy; and even the mischievous part-elf, part-imp, part-human twins Zale and Zamilla. But the twins go missing after hearing of a soul-sapping Darkness that has swallowed a forest and is creeping into minds and engulfing entire towns. They have secretly left to find a rare fruit that, it is said, will stop the Darkness if thrown into the heart of the mountain that rises out of the lethal forest. Lydia follows, determined to find the twins before they, too, fall victim to the Darkness. During her journey, accompanied by new friends, she gradually realizes that she herself has a dangerous role to play in the quest to stop the Darkness. In this well-crafted fantasy, Florence skillfully equates the physical manifestation of Darkness with the feelings of insecurity and powerlessness that Lydia first struggles with when thinking of leaving the Glen. Such negative thoughts grow more intrusive the closer she and her friends come to the Darkness—and to Lydia’s ultimate, powerfully rendered test of character, which leads to a satisfyingly realistic, not quite happily-ever-after ending. Highlights include a delightfully haunting, reality-shifting library and a deft sprinkling of Latin throughout the text; Pit’s pet name for Lydia is mea flosculus (“my little flower”). Fine-lined ink drawings introducing each chapter add a pleasing visual element to this well-grounded fairy tale.
An absorbing fantasy centered on a resilient female protagonist facing growth, change, and self-empowerment.Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9781956393095
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Waxwing Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An accessible, engaging read for those who love adventure, space, and mysteries.
A murder on a lunar colony turns a bored 12-year-old into a master sleuth in this graphic adaptation of Gibbs’ 2014 novel.
Dashiell Gibson, who has a Black mom and white dad, lives with his family on Moon Base Alpha, where life is actually pretty dull. Dash must contend with terrible food and an obnoxious billionaire tourist family. While using the annoying space toilet one night, he overhears scientist Dr. Holtz discussing a history-making project with an unseen person; it’s to be announced the next day. But Dr. Holtz dies that night in an apparent accident that Dash is convinced was murder. None of the adults believe him, so Dash takes it upon himself to investigate, leading him into a complex tangle of secrets. Base commander Nina Stack wants Dash to stop sharing his theories and even makes veiled threats against him. Fortunately, new arrivals Kira, a girl his age, and Zan, a security specialist, believe him and want to help. Ultimately, Dash and Kira end up in danger while trying to solve the mystery. Jenkins’ dynamic panel layouts, expressive character designs, and immersive depictions of life on the moon, combined with Gibbs’ crisp, fast-paced dialogue and well-timed humor, seamlessly translate the original into this visual medium. While some plot points feel condensed, this adaptation retains the original’s sharp wit, engaging mystery elements, and educational tidbits about space travel.
An accessible, engaging read for those who love adventure, space, and mysteries. (Graphic science-fiction mystery. 8-12)Pub Date: Aug. 19, 2025
ISBN: 9781665934800
Page Count: 360
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2025
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