A grim, knotty, thought-provoking SF tale.
In this YA novel, a group of teenagers fights to understand, survive, and break free from a near-future dystopia predicated on total ignorance.
After her father’s death, Juniper sets out for Denver. She arrives injured, repressing the traumatic events that claimed her sister and left Juniper pregnant. Her entry into the city disrupts the Network, the all-pervasive artificial intelligence that oversees humanity’s degradation. The disruption allows Calvin (avatar name: Doc) to abscond from the deadly, immersive video game that he and others play for extra privileges and the entertainment of the masses. Freed from his gritty gilded cage, he rescues Juniper and finds an abandoned apartment for her to stay in. In return, she begins teaching him to read—the gravest sin in a society where “goners” are left naked and illiterate on the streets, sustained by food handouts and a diet of violent reality viewing. One of Calvin’s fellow gamers called Roscoe (avatar name: the Kid) finds that he can not only read the chatting between Network units but also surreptitiously contribute to it. With Juniper digging into the tragic events that brought about society’s commitment to policed ignorance, can the teens spark a revolution? Lane delivers an omniscient past-tense narrative that incorporates not only Juniper’s, Calvin’s, and Roscoe’s viewpoints, but also vast batches of Network dialogue. Such dialogue provides clues about what’s happening—the author takes an immersive approach to storytelling, holding back exposition until late in the piece—but may prove a little too scattershot for some readers. The scenario is unremitting in its bleakness: a totalitarian reductio ad absurdum that’s even more unsettling for being revealed as the end product of current societal tendencies. The teen protagonists prove to be relatable, though more on an allegorical level (as they grope blindly through a world whose rules make no sense) than as traditional narrative agents. Minor characters—such as poor, clueless Itch-ass—also make an impression. The story is dense and takes some wading through. Lane’s prose, though assured, offers the occasional odd phrasing, such as the Trail Boss “asserting” the Schoolmarm back into her wagon or Juniper “assorting” the books. Given the worldview presented, perhaps these snippets have been seeded deliberately to make readers think. Certainly, the book as a whole will achieve this purpose.
A grim, knotty, thought-provoking SF tale.Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9780998435671
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Nov. 30, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in.
Black is back with another dark tale of Faerie, this one set in Faerie and launching a new trilogy.
Jude—broken, rebuilt, fueled by anger and a sense of powerlessness—has never recovered from watching her adoptive Faerie father murder her parents. Human Jude (whose brown hair curls and whose skin color is never described) both hates and loves Madoc, whose murderous nature is true to his Faerie self and who in his way loves her. Brought up among the Gentry, Jude has never felt at ease, but after a decade, Faerie has become her home despite the constant peril. Black’s latest looks at nature and nurture and spins a tale of court intrigue, bloodshed, and a truly messed-up relationship that might be the saving of Jude and the titular prince, who, like Jude, has been shaped by the cruelties of others. Fierce and observant Jude is utterly unaware of the currents that swirl around her. She fights, plots, even murders enemies, but she must also navigate her relationship with her complex family (human, Faerie, and mixed). This is a heady blend of Faerie lore, high fantasy, and high school drama, dripping with description that brings the dangerous but tempting world of Faerie to life.
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in. (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-316-31027-7
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Sept. 25, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2017
A sexy, swoony, action-packed duology opener.
Teens from different social spheres collaborate, investigating magical mysteries while navigating their shared attraction.
When 18-year-old Wren Hayes doesn’t receive a magical gift from the three Fates—Dawn, Day, and Dusk—she’s shunned by Aurilian high society. Unbeknownst to Wren, 19-year-old Damien, a thief from the Void (a part of the city she’s forbidden to visit) has taken the locket that should have been her gift from the Fates. He’s shocked to discover a photo of himself inside. Using his own Fates’ gift—a mirror with powers of invisibility—Damien infiltrates a party and steals a silver watch from a guest. But his gift isn’t fully functioning, and Wren tackles him, sending them both tumbling into the mud. They tussle and exchange flirty barbs before Damien makes off with his prize, losing Wren’s locket in the process. Unsure why someone from the Void would possess such a gift and determined to uncover why hers was “unjustly kept” from her, Wren tracks down Damien. Seeking answers of his own, he agrees to work with her. Their well-crafted dance of desire and restraint is on point (“She stifled a stunned noise as I placed a menacing kiss—a mere graze of my lips—on the back of her hand”), melding seamlessly with the plot. The story addresses sexism, privilege, and wealth while hurtling the characters into a whirlwind of action and disturbing revelations. Wren presents white, and Damien has tanned skin.
A sexy, swoony, action-packed duology opener. (map) (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 3, 2026
ISBN: 9798217117215
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2025
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