An intriguing and worthy novel that benefits from its youthful perspective.
Shaw and Orey offer a coming-of-age World War II story as seen through the eyes of a French Jewish teenager with a gift for music.
Benjamin Cohen celebrates his bar mitzvah in Rouen, France, just as the Nazis begin their assault on the country in 1940. As a gift, he receives a cockatiel that he eventually names Frère Jacques, in whom he often confides revealing details of his life. As the second son of a doctor, Benjamin doesn’t have the clear ambitions of his father or his older brother, Émile, his parents’ favorite child, who’s studying for a future career in medicine. As the German military takes over the town, Émile leaves his studies to work for the French Resistance, unbeknownst to his family. Meanwhile, Benjamin excels at playing the violin, but as he listens to sounds of the carillon playing at a nearby cathedral, he yearns to learn how to play it himself. Benjamin convinces M. deTarot, the carillonneur at St. Julian’s, to teach him all he knows about the instrument. At the cathedral, Benjamin calls himself Benjamin Simone, as he believes it sounds “more French”; he meets Marie-Noëlle, who also plays music there, and, later, while exploring hidden passageways and rooms at St. Julian’s, he becomes acquainted with Jacques-Milan, a man with significant war injuries. M. deTarot’s declining health eventually requires Benjamin to play the carillon for weekly concerts at a critical juncture in the story. Over the course of this novel, Shaw and Orey present a tale of secrets, love, and hope in which Benjamin must quickly mature as war rages around him. Each of the secondary characters is revealed as a complex human being, and their stories effectively intertwine with Benjamin’s. As the narrative goes on, the authors express the tragedy of war in dramatic detail through the teenager’s diary entries, which he writes with the encouragement of his psychotherapist to help with stress; along the way, salient details about Rouen and Benjamin’s family members are revealed.
An intriguing and worthy novel that benefits from its youthful perspective.Pub Date: Sept. 28, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-66553-840-4
Page Count: 244
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A promising premise that’s lacking in spice.
A fall romance with a New England backdrop.
Autumn leaves aren’t the only stunning thing to hit the town of Briar Glen—so has good-looking new boy Jack Harper, and Lucy Kane is enamored with both. Her new crush is the perfect thing to take her mind off the fact that Java Junction, part of a global chain, is opening across the street from Cup o’ Jo, Lucy’s mother’s coffee shop, where they take pride in baking everything from scratch and avoiding artificial ingredients. But there’s more than coincidence in the timing of the arrivals of both Jack and Java Junction: The Harper family moved to Briar Glen specifically to open this franchise location, which will bring competition that threatens Cup o’ Jo. This scenario has the makings of a perfect autumnal adversaries-to-lovers romance, but the writing lacks charm and chemistry. Jack seems to be completely enamored with Lucy, but her character isn’t sufficiently developed to warrant his attention. Lucy’s friends are continually supportive of her but have few distinguishing characteristics, and the story is weakened by confusing timelines and repetitive elements. The resolution relies upon successes that come too easily and do not feel earned. Major characters are cued white.
A promising premise that’s lacking in spice. (Romance. 12-16)Pub Date: Aug. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781339030753
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
A lushly written story with an intriguing heart.
After praying to a Fate for help, Evangeline discovers the dangerous world of magic.
When her father passes away, Evangeline is left with her cold stepmother and kind but distant stepsister, Marisol. Despite inheriting a steady trust in magic, belief in her late mother’s homeland of the mystical North (where fantastical creatures live), and philosophy of hope for the future, her dreams are dashed when Luc, her love, pledges to marry Marisol instead. Evangeline desperately prays to the Prince of Hearts, a dangerous and fickle Fate famed for his heart that is waiting to be revived by his one true love—and his potentially lethal kisses. The bargain they strike sends her on a dark and magical journey throughout the land. The writing style fluctuates from clever and original to overly verbose and often confusing in its jumble of senses. While the pervasive magic and concept of the Fates as a religious system add interest, other fantasy elements are haphazardly incorporated without enough time devoted to building a cohesive world. However, the themes of love, the power of story, family influence, and holding onto belief are well rounded and add depth. The plot contains welcome surprises, and the large cast piques curiosity; readers will wish more time was spent getting to know them. Evangeline has rose-gold hair and, like other main characters, reads as White; there is diversity among the fantasy races in this world.
A lushly written story with an intriguing heart. (map) (Fantasy. 12-16)Pub Date: Sept. 28, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-26839-6
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
© 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.
