An engaging blend of magic and mystery that will keep readers hooked from start to finish.
In Hadden’s YA novel, twin boys must hide their growing magical powers as strange, dangerous events at their new school threaten to expose them.
Identical twins Tyler and Cooper Bower couldn’t be more different: Tyler is a quiet, introspective boy who prefers the solitude of the library while Cooper is outgoing and chatty, though they both share an inability to make friends. When their single mother—a skilled criminal analyst—accepts a job offer to work as an investigator for a Canadian police department, the family relocates from their small town in Memphis, Tennessee, to Potterville, Ontario. Unbeknownst to their mother, the boys are secretly training to become wizards with their grandfather (“That was the greatest secret of the Bowers brothers. They were wizards, descended from a long line of enchanters”). He has been preparing them for their 13th birthday, when they will conduct a coming-of-age ritual that will give them access to their full magical potential. Cooper takes every chance he can get to exercise his abilities, but Tyler is much more cautious about using magic in front of non-wizards. Once their birthday passes, things take a dark turn: Classrooms are destroyed, teachers and students are frozen in terror, and the brothers experience the eerie feeling that someone is tracking their every move. As Halloween looms—a time when dark forces grow stronger—the twins realize their magical training may not be enough to handle the mysterious threat. Hadden’s magical tale delivers a thrilling mix of mystery, family dynamics, and suspense. The contrast between Tyler’s cautious nature and Cooper’s bold curiosity adds great humor to the narrative, and the small-town Canadian setting provides a well-drawn backdrop for the unfolding supernatural events. The slow buildup to the twins’ birthday effectively increases the tension that steadily builds throughout the novel to create a strong sense of danger. With its varied cast of characters and fast-paced plot, the novel offers an exciting read for fans of fantasy with a modern edge.
An engaging blend of magic and mystery that will keep readers hooked from start to finish.Pub Date: Feb. 10, 2025
ISBN: 9781038333445
Page Count: 162
Publisher: FriesenPress
Review Posted Online: June 16, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.
In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me, three characters tell their sides of the story.
Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind. (author’s note, content warning) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781728276229
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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