A captivating addition to the series that will leave fans clamoring for the next entry.
The slayer-witch and her Scoobies have more Big Bads to fight in this sequel to In Every Generation (2022).
Frankie Rosenberg is getting plenty of experience mixing her witch and slayer powers as more evil pops up (often from graves) in New Sunnydale. Demons of yore, back from Buffy’s slaying days, are reappearing in droves, but the fate of Buffy herself after the explosion at slayerfest is still unknown. The Scoobies, a crew comprising teens introduced in the first book as well as some beloved characters from TV’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer, are working on finding out what happened to the missing slayers when an oracle warns them “the darkness is coming.” As if that wasn’t enough to worry about, everyone is dealing with the ups and downs of romantic entanglements and the pressures of expectations from loved ones. This is clearly a midseries book that relies on knowledge from the previous story and ends with more of a reprieve than a resolution. Still, there’s important development of the overarching plot as well as notable character growth that together make for a propulsive read. Like the show, this tale satisfyingly blends humor and lightheartedness with gruesome action, compelling mystery, and a dash of taboo romance. Frankie is cued White; there is some racial diversity and queerness among the Scoobies.
A captivating addition to the series that will leave fans clamoring for the next entry. (Paranormal. 14-adult)Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-368-07507-7
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
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
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter.
After a Nigerian British girl goes off to an exclusive boarding school that seems to prey on less-privileged students, she discovers there might be some truth behind an urban legend.
Ife Adebola joins the Urban Achievers scholarship program at pricey, high-pressure Nithercott School, arriving shortly after a student called Leon mysteriously disappeared. Gossip says he’s a victim of the glowing-eyed Changing Man who targets the lonely, leaving them changed. Ife doesn’t believe in the myth, but amid the stresses of Nithercott’s competitive, privileged, majority-white environment, where she is constantly reminded of her state school background, she does miss her friends and family. When Malika, a fellow Black scholarship student, disappears and then returns, acting strangely devoid of personality, Ife worries the Changing Man is real—and that she’s next. Ife joins forces with classmate Bijal and Benny, Leon’s younger brother, to uncover the truth about who the Changing Man is and what he wants. Culminating in a detailed, gory, and extended climactic battle, this verbose thriller tempts readers with a nefarious mystery involving racial and class-based violence but never quite lives up to its potential and peters out thematically by its explosive finale. However, this debut offers highly visually evocative and eerie descriptions of characters and events and will appeal to fans of creature horror, social commentary, and dark academia.
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9781250868138
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
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