This diverting dark fantasy will surely leave readers craving further installments.
In Bastian’s middle-grade fantasy novel and series launch, a teen’s extraordinary new undertaking entails warding off shadowy creatures.
Eighth grader Aaron Anderson looks forward to his daily after-school visits with his beloved grandfather. One day, Pap inexplicably vanishes, a cryptic note the only clue he's left behind. A worried Aaron tells his parents and later returns to his grandfather’s empty home with his best friend, Jake Perez. After deciphering the clue, the boys fall through a portal into another dimension that's rife with menacing and creepy “Shadow People.” Fortunately, they reunite with Pap and make it back home with a new friend—redheaded teen Wendy Perrault. Perhaps the greatest surprise, however, is the revelation that Pap relays stories to keep the Shadow People at bay, as he is a rare “Folkteller.” Evidently, Aaron is a Folkteller, too, and he becomes Pap’s apprentice. The Shadow People vowed long ago to snatch the ancient Folkteller’s Guidebook and may find Aaron an easier target than their more seasoned enemies. Bastian adroitly introduces an intriguing cast—Aaron is a likable protagonist who, though he doesn’t feel he’s hero material, refuses to give up. And there’s an engaging romance between Wendy and one of the boys, which is complicated by the fact that she, understandably, wishes to return to her other-dimensional home as soon as she can. This smart middle-grade narrative champions storytelling, referring to real-life authors and their works (“It’s a book of poetry—by T. S. Eliot. I’ve been reading and re-reading this one poem for hours. It’s called The Hollow Men, and its stanzas were echoing in my head right up until I heard all of you bluster through my front door”). Much of this opening installment is about discovery; readers learn plenty of details about the Shadow People, from their intermittent attacks to their gloomy realm. A few genuine surprises among the characters set the stage for upcoming sequels. McEvoy’s remarkable black-and-white illustrations showcase bold light/dark contrasts (which, in a story with so many shadows, is fitting), and numerous full-page spectacles throughout the book are worthy of lingering over.
This diverting dark fantasy will surely leave readers craving further installments.Pub Date: Dec. 7, 2021
ISBN: 9781940368054
Page Count: 248
Publisher: Scribe Publishing Company
Review Posted Online: Feb. 20, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant.
Robot Roz undertakes an unusual ocean journey to save her adopted island home in this third series entry.
When a poison tide flowing across the ocean threatens their island, Roz works with the resident creatures to ensure that they will have clean water, but the destruction of vegetation and crowding of habitats jeopardize everyone’s survival. Brown’s tale of environmental depredation and turmoil is by turns poignant, graceful, endearing, and inspiring, with his (mostly) gentle robot protagonist at its heart. Though Roz is different from the creatures she lives with or encounters—including her son, Brightbill the goose, and his new mate, Glimmerwing—she makes connections through her versatile communication abilities and her desire to understand and help others. When Roz accidentally discovers that the replacement body given to her by Dr. Molovo is waterproof, she sets out to seek help and discovers the human-engineered source of the toxic tide. Brown’s rich descriptions of undersea landscapes, entertaining conversations between Roz and wild creatures, and concise yet powerful explanations of the effect of the poison tide on the ecology of the island are superb. Simple, spare illustrations offer just enough glimpses of Roz and her surroundings to spark the imagination. The climactic confrontation pits oceangoing mammals, seabirds, fish, and even zooplankton against hardware and technology in a nicely choreographed battle. But it is Roz’s heroism and peacemaking that save the day.
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9780316669412
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
A pleasing premise for book lovers.
A fantasy-loving bookworm makes a wonderful, terrible bargain.
When sixth grader Poppy Woodlock’s historic preservationist parents move the family to the Oregon coast to work on the titular stately home, Poppy’s sure she’ll find magic. Indeed, the exiled water nymph in the manor’s ruined swimming pool grants a wish, but: “Magic isn’t free. It cosssts.” The price? Poppy’s favorite book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In return she receives Sampson, a winged lion cub who is everything Poppy could have hoped for. But she soon learns that the nymph didn’t take just her own physical book—she erased Narnia from Poppy’s world. And it’s just the first loss: Soon, Poppy’s grandmother’s journal’s gone, then The Odyssey, and more. The loss is heartbreaking, but Sampson’s a wonderful companion, particularly as Poppy’s finding middle school a tough adjustment. Hartman’s premise is beguiling—plenty of readers will identify with Poppy, both as a fellow bibliophile and as a kid struggling to adapt. Poppy’s repeatedly expressed faith that unveiling Sampson will bring some sort of vindication wears thin, but that does not detract from the central drama. It’s a pity that the named real-world books Poppy reads are notably lacking in diversity; a story about the power of literature so limited in imagination lets both itself and readers down. Main characters are cued White; there is racial diversity in the supporting cast. Chapters open with atmospheric spot art. (This review has been updated to reflect the final illustrations.)
A pleasing premise for book lovers. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9780316448222
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
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