In this sequel to Awaken (2011), Maddie’s rebellion against digital school and social networking run amok land her in a detention center where detainees are conditioned to fear physical contact and transformed into pliant consumers content to conduct their lives online.
In 2060, Americans live an increasingly virtual existence (think "Half-Life"). Kids attend school from the safety of their bedrooms. Nightclub partygoers dance and interact through sophisticated digital avatars. Online funerals console the bereaved through forums and photos, rather than the warmth of human contact. Incarcerated, Maddie stubbornly fights the powerful conditioning. She’s supported by allies new and old, especially charismatic rebel Justin, her romantic and political partner in the fight to experience the sensory world directly. Over time, Maddie grows weaker; continued resistance results in an ever-longer sentence that she’s unlikely to survive. Independent, courageous and immensely likable, Maddie is the heart of this story. Human contact unmediated by sterile, digitized perfection is messy, imperfect and even dangerous, but she’s willing to pay the price. If Kacvinsky’s wider worldbuilding remains sketchy, with frustratingly few panoramic shots of the culture at large, there are compensations. Seen in close-up, Maddie’s sensuous, suspenseful voyage of discovery offers an intense, emotionally charged snapshot of the future that’s rare in science fiction. Lyrical, provocative, passionate and thought-provoking. (Science fiction/romance. 12 & up)
Pub Date: Nov. 20, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-547-86336-8
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: Sept. 11, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A meditation on a timely subject that never forgets to put its characters and their stories first
An Afghani-Australian teen named Mina earns a scholarship to a prestigious private school and meets Michael, whose family opposes allowing Muslim refugees and immigrants into the country.
Dual points of view are presented in this moving and intelligent contemporary novel set in Australia. Eleventh-grader Mina is smart and self-possessed—her mother and stepfather (her biological father was murdered in Afghanistan) have moved their business and home across Sydney in order for her to attend Victoria College. She’s determined to excel there, even though being surrounded by such privilege is a culture shock for her. When she meets white Michael, the two are drawn to each other even though his close-knit, activist family espouses a political viewpoint that, though they insist it is merely pragmatic, is unquestionably Islamophobic. Tackling hard topics head-on, Abdel-Fattah explores them fully and with nuance. True-to-life dialogue and realistic teen social dynamics both deepen the tension and provide levity. While Mina and Michael’s attraction seems at first unlikely, the pair’s warmth wins out, and readers will be swept up in their love story and will come away with a clearer understanding of how bias permeates the lives of those targeted by it.
A meditation on a timely subject that never forgets to put its characters and their stories first . (Fiction. 12-17)Pub Date: May 9, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-338-11866-7
Page Count: 402
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Feb. 19, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
PROFILES
Romantic and enchanting.
After years of running, two women fight to save their kingdoms and their lives.
At the end of Beneath These Cursed Stars (2024), Jasalyn and Felicity went missing. Jasalyn was trapped by the magic of a ring connected to Mordeus that she’d believed to be her salvation. Fearing for the safety of Kendrick and her family, she used the ring’s power to leave. Meanwhile, Felicity, who’s posing as Jasalyn, is living with Misha, the king of the Wild Fae; he discovers her deception, but she’s taken by someone else, vanishing without a trace. The ring’s power puts Jasalyn to sleep for months, while Felicity lies in an Eloran dungeon in a dream state. They awaken to find they have just 11 days to ensure that Mordeus is truly dead before Jas’ 18th birthday, when the deal she made with a witch for the ring comes into effect, claiming her life. Both women struggle with feeling the weight of fate on their shoulders and loving men they aren’t sure they deserve. This duology closer explores destiny, tough decisions, and the uncertainty of the future through parallel romantic journeys—one filled with slow-burn tension and the other with fear and desire. Ryan’s writing is rich and engaging, although the story isn’t as exciting as the first novel. Each of the love stories gives readers something to cheer for even as good battles evil. Main characters largely read white, and Misha has “golden” skin.
Romantic and enchanting. (map) (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: July 22, 2025
ISBN: 9780063311954
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Storytide/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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