A page-turner that will keep even the most stoic readers on the edges of their seats.
A group of teenagers band together to defend themselves against an invasion of terrifyingly large creatures swarming the sky.
From the window of her history class, high schooler Shur notices a giant butterfly perched on a nearby rooftop. Despite its size, it looks like a regular monarch butterfly, but moments later, emergency alerts blast through her classmates’ cell phones, urging people to stay indoors and away from windows. Shur; her twin brother, Keene; her younger brother, Little; and the boys’ two friends race to take shelter, on their way witnessing a butterfly latching onto a pedestrian’s arm and ripping it off. At Shur’s house, they follow news reports and learn that the worldwide appearance of these killer butterflies may be related to climate change. The teens prepare for worst-case scenarios, stocking up on food and supplies, boarding windows, and turning the basement into an emergency refuge while waiting out the horrors. But a series of events rattle their relative peace, testing their bonds as they realize that the butterflies are not the only threat they face. The author delivers a fresh take on a popular genre, weaving in current and relatable topics like climate change, grief, depression, and anxiety while adding depth to the exciting dystopian survival storyline. The character-driven plot brims with heartbreaking scenes, horrifying images, and a bit of romance. Main characters read white; Keene’s best friend has brown skin.
A page-turner that will keep even the most stoic readers on the edges of their seats. (Dystopian. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9781728270913
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
Exhilarating, nonstop fun.
A murder on The Escape Game, a popular reality TV show, puts the next round of contestants at risk—can they all get out alive?
The previous season of the show, in which groups of teens race to get through escape rooms, ended in disaster when Sierra Angelos and her team discovered another player lying dead in a coffin—her older sister, Alicia. But the network and ruthless executive producer determine that the show will go on. Prickly, olive-skinned Sierra, whom some suspect of murder, is returning—and she’s determined to find the killer. Her new team includes math whiz Carter Kelly, who’s Black; home-schooled, white-presenting Beck Matheson, who designs his own escape rooms and is trans; and Aditya Parvesh, who’s cued South Asian, has a way with words, and was pushed into auditioning by his movie star mother. At first, Team Helsing struggles to gel, but the teens’ shared desire to prove themselves makes them a formidable powerhouse—even if they’re hiding some of their true goals from one another. As clues to the killer’s identity start appearing, the players must try to make it to the finale before someone else becomes the next victim. This thrilling whodunit moves at a page-turning pace; the occasional reveals for the main mystery are well balanced with the tighter sequences of solving the escape rooms. The narration rotates among the central cast, allowing readers to empathize with each character in turn and be privy to even more intrigue.
Exhilarating, nonstop fun. (Mystery. 14-18)Pub Date: April 7, 2026
ISBN: 9798217006120
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Dec. 26, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2026
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter.
After a Nigerian British girl goes off to an exclusive boarding school that seems to prey on less-privileged students, she discovers there might be some truth behind an urban legend.
Ife Adebola joins the Urban Achievers scholarship program at pricey, high-pressure Nithercott School, arriving shortly after a student called Leon mysteriously disappeared. Gossip says he’s a victim of the glowing-eyed Changing Man who targets the lonely, leaving them changed. Ife doesn’t believe in the myth, but amid the stresses of Nithercott’s competitive, privileged, majority-white environment, where she is constantly reminded of her state school background, she does miss her friends and family. When Malika, a fellow Black scholarship student, disappears and then returns, acting strangely devoid of personality, Ife worries the Changing Man is real—and that she’s next. Ife joins forces with classmate Bijal and Benny, Leon’s younger brother, to uncover the truth about who the Changing Man is and what he wants. Culminating in a detailed, gory, and extended climactic battle, this verbose thriller tempts readers with a nefarious mystery involving racial and class-based violence but never quite lives up to its potential and peters out thematically by its explosive finale. However, this debut offers highly visually evocative and eerie descriptions of characters and events and will appeal to fans of creature horror, social commentary, and dark academia.
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9781250868138
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
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