A fast-paced and diverting speculative tale.
In Ashmore’s debut YA SF series starter, teenagers contract a mysterious rash after a strange meteor falls to Earth.
A comet strikes a dying planet, sending a cargo hold full of alien genetic material toward Earth. Midwestern teen Zack is with his 7-year-old sister, Zoe, when he sees a ball of fire heading straight for their family’s property. The object sets their shed aflame, and Zack successfully puts out the fire, but when he breathes in the meteorite’s fumes, his mind explodes with colors. A few days later, his classmates Hilde and Silas are returning from a high school field trip when their teacher decides to let his students see the meteorite before scientists take it away. Silas finds a small piece of the object, some distance away, and when Hilde holds it, she hears “oddly captivating” music. Teenagers in towns near the crash site soon contract odd, scaly rashes, and before long, students are required to wear masks to try to stop the spread—which doesn’t help. Soon, anyone with a rash is shipped to quarantine centers. The Centers for Disease Control know that the rash is caused by a virus from the meteorite and that it only affects teens—but they don’t know how it spreads. Zack, Hilde, and Silas find themselves quarantined together, and they must overcome their differences to face the danger before them. Over the course of this book, Ashmore presents an engaging tale about coming to terms with otherness—even if that otherness involves scales. What stands out the most about this novel, however, is its brisk style. The author efficiently introduces characters without dwelling on their backstories, and the novel shifts between points of view in a way that’s always easy to follow. The pacing is also consistently smooth throughout the story. Young readers who are currently experiencing the societal changes of the Covid-19 pandemic will also identify strongly with how people react toward the alien virus. Overall, Ashmore delivers an entertaining read.
A fast-paced and diverting speculative tale.Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2020
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 359
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Sept. 28, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
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
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