An intriguing but slow-moving novel of paranormal mystery.
In Boglisch’s YA novel, a teen tries to figure out why he’s seeing what appear to be ghosts.
The novel is set in a future in which technology has supposedly advanced enough that there are no more fatal illnesses, and crime of all kinds has been eradicated. However, Kieran still gets terrible headaches, and afterward, he sees strange, silent, all-white figures that no one else seems to notice. His parents are aware of this odd ability, but for some reason, they tell him not to go to the hospital or to tell other people about it. Nevertheless, Kieran’s good friends Felix and Mira know about it, and they find it absolutely fascinating. Mira wants nothing more than to be able to see ghosts, as Kieran apparently does. Kieran, however, only wishes that he were normal—even more so now that the headaches are getting worse. Then he learns that the strange white figures are able to grab him—and hurt him. When he and Mira explore an allegedly haunted house trying to find some answers to their questions about the figures, Kieran sees one of them holding knives, and Mira ends up getting cut. Weirdly enough, another figure recently handed him a piece of paper with a single word scrawled on it: “Danger.” Although Mira and Felix keep calling them ghosts, Kieran isn’t so sure. There’s definitely something odd going on, and the people in authority may know more than they’re letting on. Boglisch provides readers with a slow-burning novel that still features some chills and thrills. The gradual reveal of the figures, their purpose, and even the world in which the characters live requires some patience on readers’ part, but there’s enough intrigue and mystery along the way to keep them engaged. The story takes place after an unspecified global pandemic, but the circumstances surrounding it are rather vague, leaving the book with a somewhat sketchy sense of place and time. However, the friends clearly care about one another and about helping Kieran solve the mystery, and their interactions give the novel focus and a sense of forward momentum.
An intriguing but slow-moving novel of paranormal mystery.Pub Date: April 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-62420-612-2
Page Count: 334
Publisher: Rogue Phoenix Press
Review Posted Online: June 25, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter.
After a Nigerian British girl goes off to an exclusive boarding school that seems to prey on less-privileged students, she discovers there might be some truth behind an urban legend.
Ife Adebola joins the Urban Achievers scholarship program at pricey, high-pressure Nithercott School, arriving shortly after a student called Leon mysteriously disappeared. Gossip says he’s a victim of the glowing-eyed Changing Man who targets the lonely, leaving them changed. Ife doesn’t believe in the myth, but amid the stresses of Nithercott’s competitive, privileged, majority-white environment, where she is constantly reminded of her state school background, she does miss her friends and family. When Malika, a fellow Black scholarship student, disappears and then returns, acting strangely devoid of personality, Ife worries the Changing Man is real—and that she’s next. Ife joins forces with classmate Bijal and Benny, Leon’s younger brother, to uncover the truth about who the Changing Man is and what he wants. Culminating in a detailed, gory, and extended climactic battle, this verbose thriller tempts readers with a nefarious mystery involving racial and class-based violence but never quite lives up to its potential and peters out thematically by its explosive finale. However, this debut offers highly visually evocative and eerie descriptions of characters and events and will appeal to fans of creature horror, social commentary, and dark academia.
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9781250868138
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
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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