Originally self-published online, this tale reads more as impassioned fanfiction than a fully realized, judiciously edited...
A scarred survivor must decide if she will be predator, prey, or something more.
Violently orphaned, then tortured, 17-year-old Janneke has spent a century in Permafrost as a goblin thrall. When the Erlking’s death sets off the Hunt for the white stag, Janneke accompanies her current master, Soren. Together, they must stop Lydian—Janneke’s abusive first captor and Soren’s maniacal uncle—prevent a war, decide Janneke’s humanity, and resolve their unusual relationship. Video game–like action sequences, obligatory fae political machinations, unnecessary mystical ordeals, random animal slaughter, and melodramatic brooding ensue. Suffering from chosen one syndrome—prophecies, magical birth, inexplicable uniqueness, and desirability—Janneke survives the Hunt through stubbornness, specialness, and a repeatedly mentioned but superficially discussed childhood of being raised as a male heir (she reserves the feminine form of her name, Janneka, for intimates). Russet-haired, green-eyed Janneke has dark skin and suggested Scandinavian origins, while Soren is white-haired, purple-eyed, and blue-gray skinned. Dazzling descriptions and morbid humor aside, debut author Barbieri eschews original dialogue and subtlety in favor of anachronisms, clichés, blunt moralizing, and insensitive treatment of sexual abuse.
Originally self-published online, this tale reads more as impassioned fanfiction than a fully realized, judiciously edited novel; best for existing fans. (Fantasy. 16-adult)Pub Date: Jan. 8, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-250-14958-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 29, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
A good idea undercut by the author’s choices. (Science fiction/dystopian. 16-adult)
In near-future Australia, a girl with unusual powers is caught up in a battle for the soul of her country.
Two years ago, Julianne “Jules” De Marchi blew up a wing of her school—a wing paid for by the Paxton Federation, an agricultural company engaged in questionable practices that dominates Australia. Now 18, Jules and her mother, Angie, scrape by, Angie’s journalism career and activism derailed by a blackmailer who knows what really happened at school that day: Jules can generate electricity, and the explosion was an accident that occurred when she couldn’t control the current. After a lot of narrative delay, the truth comes out: Her abilities are the result of Pax Fed experimentation—and Pax Fed is torn between studying her and killing her. It will take the help of Ryan, a member of a secret Australian army unit who conveniently falls for Jules, and the rest of his unit to protect Jules and reveal the truth about Pax Fed. The Australian setting is well-realized. While there are nods to diversity in the supporting characters, all the protagonists appear to be white. Chapters told from the point of view of adult characters dilute the impact of Jules’ story, especially as none of the characters are particularly vivid or compelling.
A good idea undercut by the author’s choices. (Science fiction/dystopian. 16-adult)Pub Date: July 10, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-925498-23-3
Page Count: 401
Publisher: Text
Review Posted Online: April 29, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
An engrossing horror/fantasy hybrid, this page-turner will be best appreciated by those with a taste for ambiguous endings. Sixteen-year-old Jack narrowly escapes a kidnapping by a menacing figure who drugs and nearly rapes him. Soon after, he and his best friend, Connor, embark on a planned trip to England, where a strange man gives Jack a set of purple eyeglasses that transport him to an alternate universe called Marbury whenever he wears them. In this post-apocalyptic world of ghosts and monsters, Jack and others struggle against the attacks of roving bands of creatures, once human, who have transformed into grotesque cannibals, and Jack’s grip on reality becomes increasingly tenuous. Nightmarish imagery is chillingly effective, and the pacing superbly builds suspense. Connor’s unrelenting teasing of Jack (including the oft-repeated suggestion that Jack’s virginity means he must be gay) is authentic in its portrayal of the experience of close friendship between some teen boys. However, in the end there are many questions left unanswered—which may well prove frustrating to readers expecting an explanation of Jack’s experiences. (Horror/fantasy. 16 & up)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-312-61342-6
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: Sept. 15, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2010
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