This story deftly fuses a family’s engaging dynamic with chic superpowers.
Reunited supernaturally-gifted brothers find themselves in danger after meeting the family they’ve never known in White’s debut YA novel.
It’s been a decade since 16-year-old Julian Harrington’s parents’ divorce split the family in two. His father died several years ago, leaving Julian in Boston with his paternal grandparents. Now, he gets news that his estranged mother has died, which requires a trip to San Francisco for the reading of the will and a reunion with his younger brother, Jacob. Their aunt and newly-minted legal guardian Molly Finnegan takes the boys to Finnegan’s Close, a castle in Ireland. It’s there they learn of their extended family’s “Gifts”—special abilities the brothers already have but can’t quite control. With training (courtesy of their aunts and uncles), Julian slowly masters his telekinesis and Jacob develops his telepathy. Unfortunately, Jacob’s skills attract the attention of a diabolical criminal who targets the boy with a sinister purpose in mind. White’s novel quickly establishes the simpatico brothers, who have no idea why their parents kept them apart or why their Finnegan relatives have all but ignored them for so long. The siblings’ relationship is endearing; they instantly reconnect, displaying a sturdy bond that only gets stronger despite Jacob being a mere 3-year-old when Julian last saw him. The Finnegans are an entertainingly mixed bag—some, like Molly, are loving (“She pulled him into a hug. Jacob let himself feel the warmth of it”), while others are indifferent or even outright hostile. While the author subtly weaves the Gifts into the narrative, they still stand out, running the gamut from Molly’s electricity manipulation to Uncle Ned’s ability to “wipe memories.” The novel is primed for sequels—it ends with numerous mysteries surrounding the family, including the backstory of Julian and Jacob’s parents, an unknown uncle apparently up to “his usual shenanigans” in America, and certain relatives who seemingly hate the brothers.
This story deftly fuses a family’s engaging dynamic with chic superpowers.Pub Date: June 27, 2024
ISBN: 9781800168213
Page Count: 388
Publisher: Vanguard Press
Review Posted Online: Dec. 11, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
BOOK REVIEW
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.
The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.
Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798987380406
Page Count: 538
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
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