Definitely a series to invest in for those who prefer their fantasy a bit light.
This second book in the Underworld Chronicles picks up where Elliot and the Goblin War (2010) left off.
As the melodramatic narrator might say, woe unto those who have not read the first title in the series, because they will often encounter characters or story references that they know little to nothing about. Elliot, King of the Brownies, struggles to balance working with hypercompetitive science-project partner Cami and hosting former nemesis Tubs Lawless, “his least favorite former bully” for a sleepover. All goes awry from the beginning, as Elliot is threatened by bumbling Harold the Shapeshifter and “totally” television-obsessed Pixie Fidget Spitfly to release Grissel the Goblin from Brownie jail. Nielsen cleverly keeps the action and humor flowing from one silly obstacle to the next as Elliot tries to meet the demands of the angry Pixies. This quickly addictive page-turner also entices readers with many sensory details, such as tenacious Gripping Mud, surprisingly tasty turnip juice and a tingly invisibility potion gone wrong. Along the journey to broker peace among the Pixies, Fairies and Brownies of the underworld, Elliot learns how to navigate some difficult relationships and appreciate the better qualities in unlikely allies.
Definitely a series to invest in for those who prefer their fantasy a bit light. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4022-4020-1
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2011
A fully imagined world, a wider cast of engaging characters, and a satisfying resolution all help this sequel add up to an...
Izzy and her friends must once again band together to overcome an evil plan.
Despite the revelation that she is a fairy—a changeling—Izzy decided to return home to her human family at the end of series opener The Changelings (2016). At summer camp with her human, white younger sister, Henrietta, known as Hen, Izzy still misses the magic of the Faerie world and the friends she made there. Summoned to assist in fighting a new danger, Izzy struggles to recapture her magical abilities while fighting familiar feelings of self-doubt. Hen, initially left behind, finds her way to Faerie to help and winds up playing a vital role. Soontornvat’s story unfolds smoothly, but readers unfamiliar with the first volume may struggle somewhat to follow the action. Intriguing new elements—most notably the underwater Fen Whelps who reveal a crucial detail to the two sisters—add interest. As in the first book, it’s an individual who threatens destruction and cooperation that carries the day. A strong connection to nature, the importance of recognizing and using one’s own talents for the greater good, and the importance of family connections, however they are forged, are elements that will enhance the appeal for thoughtful fantasy readers.
A fully imagined world, a wider cast of engaging characters, and a satisfying resolution all help this sequel add up to an enjoyable, if not stand-alone, read. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4926-3421-8
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Aug. 20, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2017
A realistic, visceral portrayal of a boy’s coming-of-age.
After the summer of 1975, life will never be the same for Jimmy, a small-town boy, in this YA novel.
It’s the 1970s in Walnut Creek, in an unnamed U.S. state, long before cellphones and social media, and preteen Jimmy Hamilton daydreams about big league baseball, throws crab apples at the neighbor’s cat, and hopes his mom doesn’t order him to tear down his tree fort. On the plus side, summer and Little League are about to start. If only his mother wouldn’t drag him to the library every week. (Jimmy’s dim view of libraries is a frequent reminder of the book’s subtitle: “for those who hate to read.”) When an accident occurs on his 11th birthday, Jimmy’s summer takes a disappointing turn. In this uneasy mix of small-town Americana (baseball, church, home-baked cookies, playing catch in the backyard with Dad) and coming-of-age angst (angry outbursts, verbal obscenities, a first crush, upturned friendships), Jimmy plans to prove himself on the pitcher’s mound and to keep invading girls and rowdy teens out of his new fort in the woods. The latter intention leads to the novel’s sobering conclusion, involving a shunned homeless man with baseball skills. The book shines brightest in its depictions of baseball through Jimmy’s eyes. At night, the cornfield is “silhouetted against the outfield fence….The magic of the game filled the bleachers,” and the “Bermuda grass was crisp under their spikes.” Less magical is the boys’ oblivious, laughing cruelty; for example, Jimmy disembowels a living snake and pokes a knife into the three-legged frog the snake had consumed. The boys compare the frog to “that cripple with just the one arm who sits in his wheelchair out in front of the grocery store.” Jimmy’s nascent hormonal confusion rings true, however, and there’s heart in the book’s depictions of his caring mom, a girl with empathy and “chocolate eyes,” and the epiphanic ending.
A realistic, visceral portrayal of a boy’s coming-of-age.Pub Date: Sept. 19, 2024
ISBN: 9781685134815
Page Count: 220
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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