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
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and...
A deliciously creepy page-turning gem from first-time writer and illustrator Brosgol finds brooding teenager Anya trying to escape the past—both her own and the ghost haunting her.
Anya feels out of place at her preppy private school; embarrassed by her Russian heritage, she has worked hard to lose her accent and to look more like everyone else. After a particularly frustrating morning at the bus stop, Anya storms off, only to accidentally fall down a well. Down in the dark hole, she meets Emily, a ghost who claims to be a murder victim trapped down in the dank abyss for 90 years. With Emily’s help, Anya manages to escape, though once free, she learns that Emily has traveled out with her. At first, Emily seems like the perfect friend; however, once her motives become clear, Anya learns that “perfect” may only be an illusion. A moodily atmospheric spectrum of grays washes over the clean, tidy panels, setting a distinct stage before the first words appear. Brosgol’s tight storytelling invokes the chilling feeling of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline (2002), though for a decidedly older set.
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and outward appearance. (Graphic supernatural fiction. 12 & up)Pub Date: June 7, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-59643-552-0
Page Count: 224
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: April 18, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2011
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations.
Magic, mystery, and love intertwine and invite in this newest take on the “enchanted circus” trope.
Sisters raised by their abusive father, a governor of a colonial backwater in a world vaguely reminiscent of the late 18th century, Scarlett and Donatella each long for something more. Scarlett, olive-skinned, dark of hair and attitude, longs for Caraval, the fabled, magical circus helmed by the possibly evil Master Legend Santos, while blonde, sunny Tella finds comfort in drink and the embraces of various men. A slightly awkward start, with inconsistencies of attitude and setting, rapidly smooths out when they, along with handsome “golden-brown” sailor Julian, flee to Caraval on the eve of Scarlett’s arranged marriage. Tella disappears, and Scarlett must navigate a nighttime world of magic to find her. Caraval delights the senses: beautiful and scary, described in luscious prose, this is a show readers will wish they could enter. Dresses can be purchased for secrets or days of life; clocks can become doors; bridges move: this is an inventive and original circus, laced with an edge of horror. A double love story, one sensual romance and the other sisterly loyalty, anchors the plot, but the real star here is Caraval and its secrets.
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations. (Fantasy. 14 & up)Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-250-09525-1
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
