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
Raw, delicate, and deeply caring.
When Death-Cast doesn’t call, fate intertwines the lives of two boys, both haunted by their pasts and with futures they can’t escape.
In this third installment of the series that opened with 2017’s They Both Die at the End, Paz Dario waits every night for Death-Cast to call—as it should have for his father nearly 10 years ago, when Paz shot him to save his mother’s life. But the call never comes. Death-Cast killed Paz’s dreams of an acting career: No one will hire him now because the world sees him as a villain. When Paz tries (not for the first time) to put an end to his suffering, an unexpected encounter with Alano Rosa, the heir of Death-Cast, stops him. Both in a place of desperation, Alano and Paz sign a contract to live for Begin Days instead of waiting for their End Days. As suspenseful and emotionally wrenching as the previous titles in the series, this new installment explores heavy themes of abuse, mental health, self-harm, and suicide. Paz grapples with a recent diagnosis of borderline personality disorder. Silvera surrounds Alano and Paz with a web of complex relationships. Although the protagonists fall fast for one another and form a deep connection over Alano’s desire to support Paz, Silvera emphasizes the importance of professional help. Both Alano and Paz have Puerto Rican heritage. The cliffhanger ending promises more to come.
Raw, delicate, and deeply caring. (content warning, resources) (Speculative fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780063240858
Page Count: 720
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.
The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.
Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798987380406
Page Count: 538
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
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