Diverting.
In Tarian, a magical forest fights the kings’ railroads and telegraphs, and a young man is caught in the crossfire.
Owen, 17, raises his sister and keeps house by day while maintaining star charts for the king by night. Across the wall that edges his garden, the Gwydden, the power in the woods who has turned eight birches into her humanoid tree-siren daughters, steals souls and has her daughters kill in scenes reminiscent of a literary horror novel. Owen’s present-tense, first-person narration alternates with the jagged, vaguely poetic narration of Seren, the Gwydden’s youngest daughter, who no longer wants to kill for her mother. Centered on the relationship between Owen and the tree siren, this is a story with limited space for secondary characters, although an intriguing background mythos reveals itself through Owen’s and Seren’s stories. The emphasis on souls—evil feeds on them, the tree siren longs for one, and their importance, along with hearts, anchors much of the magic—lends a Christian moral code to an otherwise firmly fantastical setting that has a Welsh flavor. Familiar motifs, such as wilderness versus technology, a witch versus a king, and star-crossed lovers, placed in unfamiliar settings ensure that this dark romantic fantasy fulfills expectations without becoming formulaic. Owen is White in a world with some racial diversity and no prejudice.
Diverting. (Romantic fantasy. 12-18)Pub Date: Jan. 12, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-64567-170-1
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Page Street
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2020
A thoughtful and thrilling story of life, death, and meaning.
Two teens train to be society-sanctioned killers in an otherwise immortal world.
On post-mortal Earth, humans live long (if not particularly passionate) lives without fear of disease, aging, or accidents. Operating independently of the governing AI (called the Thunderhead since it evolved from the cloud), scythes rely on 10 commandments, quotas, and their own moral codes to glean the population. After challenging Hon. Scythe Faraday, 16-year-olds Rowan Damisch and Citra Terranova reluctantly become his apprentices. Subjected to killcraft training, exposed to numerous executions, and discouraged from becoming allies or lovers, the two find themselves engaged in a fatal competition but equally determined to fight corruption and cruelty. The vivid and often violent action unfolds slowly, anchored in complex worldbuilding and propelled by political machinations and existential musings. Scythes’ journal entries accompany Rowan’s and Citra’s dual and dueling narratives, revealing both personal struggles and societal problems. The futuristic post–2042 MidMerican world is both dystopia and utopia, free of fear, unexpected death, and blatant racism—multiracial main characters discuss their diverse ethnic percentages rather than purity—but also lacking creativity, emotion, and purpose. Elegant and elegiac, brooding but imbued with gallows humor, Shusterman’s dark tale thrusts realistic, likable teens into a surreal situation and raises deep philosophic questions.
A thoughtful and thrilling story of life, death, and meaning. (Science fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: Nov. 29, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4424-7242-6
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 25, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2016
A lighthearted romance in which love comes to those who speak their minds and stick to their truths.
A strong young woman discovers love where she least expects it.
At 17, Madeline Fisher-Michaels’ only love has been field hockey. With her focus on playing in college, boys have never been a priority. But after she agrees to be a bridesmaid in her brother Austin’s wedding to his fiancée, Katie, everything changes. She allows Katie—whom she doesn’t like but hopes to bond with—and the other bridesmaids to be her matchmakers. Mads navigates complicated, changing feelings toward longtime best friend Connor McCallister and classmate Marco Álvarez, whom she banters and bickers with. With the support of her dads, Mads must work through shifting relationships with family, boys, and even herself. Mads proves to be a strong protagonist: She often speaks her mind and maintains clear boundaries throughout the novel, which is refreshing. She communicates well with her family and serves as an inspirational role model for young women navigating relationships. The complexity of Katie’s characterization is another highlight; her depth and growth balance the lack of substance in the portrayals of other supporting characters. Readers looking for drama and intrigue may be disappointed, but Walther’s strong young women characters truly shine in this quietly entertaining, character-driven tale. Marco is cued Latine in the otherwise largely white cast.
A lighthearted romance in which love comes to those who speak their minds and stick to their truths. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: June 3, 2025
ISBN: 9781728263144
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
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