An electrifying, high-stakes series opener grounded in feminist themes.
Opposing forces seek leverage in a world in which intrinsic magic, widely believed to have been eradicated, is traded in secret.
Long ago, women known as Fyrebirds wielded powerful, even deadly, magic. Accused of witchcraft and persecuted by the patriarchal church, the remaining Fyrebirds survived by concealing their abilities and marrying into the Great Houses, whose wealth and influence offered protection. Generations later, the Fyrebirds have passed into myth, while Nightbirds, their female descendants, are vessels for subtler abilities that they themselves cannot wield; instead, their abilities may be temporarily gifted to others through kisses. While the Great Houses continue to fiercely guard and regulate access to the Nightbirds’ identities and gifts, those who fear—or have tasted—the Nightbirds’ magic are determined to unmask them. Socialite Matilde has never questioned the system in which she participates; she enjoys having (and being) a rare secret. But soon after she’s joined by street-wise Sayer and country girl Æsa, two new Nightbirds, an attack in the Nightbirds’ inner sanctum sets the three girls on a different path, one with massive personal and political implications. Their present-tense narrative perspectives establish clear distinctions between them as they navigate and boldly question the intersections of patriarchy, privilege, and fear that shape their world. Lush settings, careful worldbuilding, and taut exposition are seamlessly presented through the characters’ internal observations. Main characters read White; queer identities are woven into the story.
An electrifying, high-stakes series opener grounded in feminist themes. (maps) (Fantasy. 12-18)Pub Date: Feb. 28, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-46327-7
Page Count: 480
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
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