A heady concoction of YA romance, action, and intrigue.
The second book of the McConnells’ YA Time Trialsseries follows a team of teenagers riven by internal conflict while trying to survive a do-or-die time-travel contest.
Seventeen-year-olds Finn (an orphaned grunge music enthusiast), Everly (an heiress of the social elite), Valerie (a sporty go-getter), and Edison (Finn’s high-functioning autistic roommate) are forced once more to compete in a series of deadly “games” in which they’re thrown back in time to historical periods as diverse as ancient Egypt and Prohibition-era Chicago. In winning the trials the previous year, Finn and the others made an implacable enemy of Philomena Vandecraft, one of the mysterious “Timekeepers” who run the contest. Determined to bring them down, she contrives to have a fifth member added to their team: 16-year-old grunge-girl Ryan. Finn and Ryan feel an immediate connection, which only worsens the strain threatening to break apart Finn and Everly’s unlikely romance. Complicating matters, Everly has been benched from the time trials—in what seems a most callous betrayal, her grandfather (and only living relative) has rejoined the Timekeepers’ ranks, thereby rendering her ineligible to compete. With Ryan taking Everly’s place—in more ways than one—will the team survive Philomena’s devious machinations? The authors write primarily from the perspectives of Finn, Everly, or Ryan, but also sometimes from Edison’s as he navigates the world of his neurotypical peers. (“He’d secretly been applying the insights he’d gained about nonverbal communication to Finn and Everly’s relationship since he’d returned to Wharton at the beginning of the school year.”) The prose and dialogue are deftly rendered in a story that, in this volume, focuses more on relationship issues than on its SF aspect. Everly and Finn’s insecurities ring true, and Ryan is a relatable character in her own right, to the extent that readers will find themselves unsure where they want Finn’s affections to land. All the while, the Time Trials plot maintains a pressing sense of danger and intrigue. The author has made little effort to acclimatize readers who are new to the series, but those already on board will thrill at the new developments.
A heady concoction of YA romance, action, and intrigue.Pub Date: July 12, 2022
ISBN: 9781946501509
Page Count: 378
Publisher: Tiny Fox Press LLC
Review Posted Online: June 7, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
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 delicious winter romance that shimmers with classic fairy-tale magic.
An 18-year-old’s encounter with the pale, mysterious, golden-eyed Starmaker transforms her from hamlet girl to magical apprentice.
Aurora Finch discovers she possesses the rare ability to channel sunlight—magic essential to the survival of snow-covered Reverie, her mountain village, “with peaks so high the Sun [cannot] rise above them.” Now she faces a harsh choice: Leave everything behind to train at the Starmaker’s enchanted castle or die as the untapped magic destroys her from within. Griffin excels at worldbuilding; the story is filled with elements and characters that feel both whimsical and real, from Tilly, a living snow angel who’s searching for herself, to Constance, an immortal rabbit. As the antagonism between Aurora and the cold, centuries-old Starmaker melts, their love story, which forms the heart of this tale, crackles with tension. Aurora emerges as a compelling hero—stubborn and brave—who refuses to be diminished by the overwhelming responsibilities thrust upon her. The romantic storyline proves both strong and emotionally involving as the author brings fresh twists to familiar elements, exploring the power of stories and how they shape our understanding of the world. White-presenting Aurora faces a devastating truth that creates urgency and heightens the emotional stakes that drive the story to its conclusion. This satisfying, sparkling fantasy will capture hearts with its well-developed setting and captivating love story.
A delicious winter romance that shimmers with classic fairy-tale magic. (author’s note) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 17, 2026
ISBN: 9781728256184
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Oct. 10, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2025
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