A high-stakes murder-mystery science-fiction thrill ride; great fun.
The bigger the potential payout, the bigger the risk in this genre-bending debut.
Cassie’s life on Sarn, a dusty, arid minor moon of the planet Danae, is less than glamorous. She works with her nonbinary friend Jax, executing a two-part routine they’ve perfected to swipe jewels and trinkets from tourists. The well-rehearsed con earns Cassie enough to care for her ailing father—but just barely. When an unlucky mark tells Cassie the location of the upcoming Ascension Ball, which will be attended by the most influential people in the galaxy and where a new emperor will be crowned, she realizes that her pickpocketing skills could net her enough valuables to retire from her life of crime forever. As if enigmatic, intriguing Amaris (an attractive girl who is clearly hiding something) isn’t distraction enough at the ball, finding herself pinned in the crosshairs of the hunt for a murder suspect is far from the heist Cassie expected to pull off. Descriptive worldbuilding, inventive and gender-inclusive slang and symbolism, a vividly drawn cast, and fast-paced banter are joined by nonstop action and twisty revelations as Cassie finds herself ever more deeply embroiled in a world she knows little about. Cassie is cued White; the cast of characters varies in appearance, and race holds no significance in this world.
A high-stakes murder-mystery science-fiction thrill ride; great fun. (Science fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: July 11, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-68369-351-2
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Quirk Books
Review Posted Online: April 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2023
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.
The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.
Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798987380406
Page Count: 538
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
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