Veteran comic-book writer DeMatteis tries to make a middle-grade fantasy out of the naked desire of so many youngsters to live in the books they love. Mehera is 12, and she loves the Imaginalis series more than anything, refusing to accept that its reclusive author will not write the final book. It turns out that Imaginalis is real, and only the impossibly good Mehera can save it and the characters she loves: handsome Prince Imagos, Lord Nossyss (a Ganesh-like character with an elephant head), Prognostica (who can see many futures but doesn’t always know which one will happen) and the eeee-villll Pralaya, who morphs from globby blob to unctuous male to terrifying female. If Mehera believes strongly enough in the Unbelievable Bridge (an IM: “We’re trapped, Mehera...Only the Bridge can save us”), those from Imaginalis can come into her (our) world, find the writer of the series and save their land from extinction. Mehera’s first-person narrative sounds like a middle-aged adult’s notion of a 12-year-old girl, and the plot’s all over the place, with huge swaths of exposition plunked down everywhere. Ho. Hum. (Fantasy. 8-12)
Pub Date: July 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-06-173286-7
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: June 3, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2010
BOOK REVIEW
A tremendous return.
Several months have passed since the events of The Rise of the Jumbies (2017), when Corinne La Mer faced her mother’s sister, Severine, and the mighty Mama D’Leau, the jumbies of forest and sea.
Corinne anxiously awaits her father’s yellow fishing boat every day, scanning the sea for trouble, afraid that Severine will come back for revenge. Her friends encourage her to keep her mind on land rather than the waters. One day, an out-of-season hurricane suddenly turns the island upside down. As the hurricane rips the island apart, the villagers take to the mountains for shelter. There, Corinne finds Papa Bois, guardian jumbie of the forest. He tells her the storm is the work of the jumbie god, Huracan. Even though she’s half jumbie herself, Corinne isn’t sure how to stop the mighty god from destroying the island. What could cause such fury? With the help of her friends, human and jumbie, Corinne sets out to fix things once and for all and to face Huracan himself. With this strong return to the Jumbies series, Baptiste engages all the senses, from the taste of sweet oranges to the scent of salty air. Corinne strengthens her relationships with the island, the people, and all the creatures within. Her determination, compassion, and bravery will inspire readers to face down any challenges crossing their paths. Baptiste carefully represents Caribbean diversity; most characters are Afro Caribbean like Corinne, but friend Dru’s heritage is South Asian.
A tremendous return. (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-61620-891-2
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Algonquin
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2019
PERSPECTIVES
A delectable treat for food and literary connoisseurs alike
Eleven-year-old Mira “Mimi” Mackson is a baking prodigy from a small Massachusetts town called Comity (a thinly disguised Concord).
Mimi is the youngest member of a large family: Her Indian American mom is a successful software consultant, her white dad is a renowned food writer and critic, and her three older siblings (all biracial, like Mimi) excel at acting, dance, and soccer. Although Mimi enjoys creating new treats for her family and experimenting with uncommon flavors, she sometimes feels out of place and invisible amid her accomplished siblings. When a new bakery in town, the While Away Bakery and Café, announces a baking contest for children, Mimi is excited to compete and show off her talents. Things get complicated, however, when Mimi’s father falls under an enchantment that causes him to not only lose his refined sense of taste, but also eat everything in sight. Loosely based on A Midsummer Night’s Dream and inspired by TV shows like The Great British Baking Show, LaRocca’s debut is original and compelling. The realistic characters and complex family dynamics augment the tightly knit plot, and the mouthwatering descriptions of food are guaranteed to make readers hungry. Three recipes at the end of the novel (based on the characters’ concoctions) are an added bonus for those interested in developing their culinary skills.
A delectable treat for food and literary connoisseurs alike . (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: June 4, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4998-0888-9
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Review Posted Online: April 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2019
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