A fun paranormal comedy with an overarching message about being one’s true self and the power of honesty, it will be...
Two teen fairy godmothers with drastically different styles duel it out in this mostly clever follow-up to Don’t Expect Magic (2011).
Doubt plagues 15-year-old Delaney from the start of this sequel. She has newly come to terms with the wish-granting magic passed along to her by her father, but months have gone by since she granted the wish of her boyfriend, Flynn, and no further wish recipients have materialized. Adding to her woes are a rivalry with Ariella, an f.g. with powers that seem to dwarf her own, and Flynn’s inattentiveness due to his summer job. With so many things going wrong, Delaney retreats to her old ways, hiding her feelings and telling no one about her struggles. While readers will be sympathetic to her plight, it’s likely some will find her angst—“And then the moment’s gone in an instant, cruelly yanked away from me, like always”—a bit self-serving. However, as in the first, Delaney’s tendency toward gloom can also be wickedly funny, such as her thought that her dad’s relentless attempts to win over the son of his new girlfriend are “[s]ort of like a prisoner-of-war interrogation with a domestic twist.”
A fun paranormal comedy with an overarching message about being one’s true self and the power of honesty, it will be welcomed by fans of the first. (Paranormal comedy. 12 & up)Pub Date: July 9, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-385-74014-2
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: May 21, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2013
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
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
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