This engaging read steeped in music, romance and mystery opens a promising trilogy.
At the unusual, LA-area Mount Hope High, students are immersed in the music industry, taking classes such as Physics of Volume and playing showcases in the Don Henley amphitheater; here, even nonmusicians like Summer can study the marketing and management aspects of the music business.
Caleb and Summer quickly bond at the beginning of the book; incidents that occurred last year have left them both exiled from the school’s music scene. Caleb shares with Summer the revelation that prompted his recent unravelling—he has learned that he is the son of notorious dead rock star Eli White. As Summer helps Caleb put together and promote his new band, Dangerheart, she also helps him unravel the mystery of his father’s legendary lost songs. She struggles to balance her roles as supportive girlfriend and band manager, especially once the mysterious Val shows up, who rocks as Dangerheart’s bassist but seems interested in being more than just bandmates with Caleb. The well-paced narrative presents a unique perspective on this genre, showcasing teens on the business side of the music industry, and the twists in the storyline will keep readers’ attention. The abrupt ending avoids wrapping up many of the story’s loose ends, leaving several subplots and characters waiting for the sequel.
This engaging read steeped in music, romance and mystery opens a promising trilogy. (Fiction. 13-17)Pub Date: April 29, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-06-213395-3
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 18, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2014
An enjoyable, if predictable, romantic holiday story.
Is an exuberant extended family the cure for a breakup? Sophie is about to find out.
When Sophie unexpectedly breaks up with her boyfriend, she isn’t thrilled about spending the holidays at her grandparents’ house instead of with him. And when her grandmother forms a plan to distract Sophie from her broken heart—10 blind dates, each set up by different family members—she’s even less thrilled. Everyone gets involved with the matchmaking, even forming a betting pool on the success of each date. But will Sophie really find someone to fill the space left by her ex? Will her ex get wind of Sophie’s dating spree via social media and want them to get back together? Is that what she even wants anymore? This is a fun story of finding love, getting to know yourself, and getting to know your family. The pace is quick and light, though the characters are fairly shallow and occasionally feel interchangeable, especially with so many names involved. A Christmas tale, the plot is a fast-paced series of dinners, parties, and games, relayed in both narrative form and via texts, though the humor occasionally feels stiff and overwrought. The ending is satisfying, though largely unsurprising. Most characters default to white as members of Sophie’s Italian American extended family, although one of her cousins has a Filipina mother. One uncle is gay.
An enjoyable, if predictable, romantic holiday story. (Fiction. 13-16)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-368-02749-6
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: June 22, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2019
Full of drama, emotional turmoil, and high stakes.
What happens to the world after the dust from a revolution has settled?
Friends Annie and Lee were children from very different circles when Atreus killed Lee’s father, dragonlord Leon Stormscourge, ending the uprising on the bloodiest day in Callipolis’ history. For too long the dragonriders held all the power while their people starved and lived in fear. Nine years later, a new generation of dragonriders is emerging, children selected and trained on merit, not bloodlines. Their dragons are finally mature enough for them to compete for Firstrider, a position of power that can give Lee back a small part of what his family lost. However, not only is Lee competing against Annie, but rumors are circulating that some of the royal family have survived and have dragons of their own. Everyone will have to make a choice: Restore the old regime, support the First Protector and the new caste system he created, or look for a new way, no matter what the cost. From the beginning, this book pulls readers in with political intrigue and action. What keeps them invested, however, are the complex relationships between many cast members. Choices are complex, and the consequences for all could be deadly. The world is well fleshed out and believable. Annie and Lee are light skinned; secondary characters are diverse, and race is a nonissue in this world.
Full of drama, emotional turmoil, and high stakes. (author’s note) (Fantasy.14-17)Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-525-51821-1
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: July 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2019
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