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ONLY EVERYTHING

From the True Love series , Vol. 1

Charlie and Katrina are just the first couple; hooked readers can expect the fun to continue.

Comedy, romance and chick lit mix with Greek mythology when Zeus sends Eros, daughter of Aphrodite, to Earth.

In Scott’s universe, Eros is female, and she commits a serious sin by falling in love with Orion, who may be a constellation but remains mortal. When Zeus finds out, he banishes Eros to 21st-century New Jersey, demanding that she make three love matches or he will kill Orion—but he’s taken away her love-creating powers. Since her mom had kept Eros’ forbidden liaison secret, Zeus banishes her too. He does put them in a nice house with a library and wine cellar, but he gives them no money. Aphrodite immediately occupies herself with drinking up the wine, but feisty Eros enrolls in high school, renaming herself “True Olympia.” Spotting Charlie, a shy boy who wants to play drums against his athletic family’s wishes, she matches him up with several girls who turn out to be completely incompatible, missing Katrina, the girl readers easily will see is Charlie’s true soul mate. Eros’ nonexistent fashion sense and her superconfident, in-your-face attitude provide plenty of chuckles, while Charlie and Katrina’s relationship drama keeps pages turning. Scott writes chapters from the viewpoints of “True,” Charlie and Katrina and treats the mythology lightly, with Percy Jackson–style irreverence.

Charlie and Katrina are just the first couple; hooked readers can expect the fun to continue. (Chick lit/fantasy. 12-17)

Pub Date: May 6, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-4424-7718-6

Page Count: 336

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: Feb. 11, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2014

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ONCE UPON A BROKEN HEART

From the Once Upon a Broken Heart series , Vol. 1

A lushly written story with an intriguing heart.

After praying to a Fate for help, Evangeline discovers the dangerous world of magic.

When her father passes away, Evangeline is left with her cold stepmother and kind but distant stepsister, Marisol. Despite inheriting a steady trust in magic, belief in her late mother’s homeland of the mystical North (where fantastical creatures live), and philosophy of hope for the future, her dreams are dashed when Luc, her love, pledges to marry Marisol instead. Evangeline desperately prays to the Prince of Hearts, a dangerous and fickle Fate famed for his heart that is waiting to be revived by his one true love—and his potentially lethal kisses. The bargain they strike sends her on a dark and magical journey throughout the land. The writing style fluctuates from clever and original to overly verbose and often confusing in its jumble of senses. While the pervasive magic and concept of the Fates as a religious system add interest, other fantasy elements are haphazardly incorporated without enough time devoted to building a cohesive world. However, the themes of love, the power of story, family influence, and holding onto belief are well rounded and add depth. The plot contains welcome surprises, and the large cast piques curiosity; readers will wish more time was spent getting to know them. Evangeline has rose-gold hair and, like other main characters, reads as White; there is diversity among the fantasy races in this world.

A lushly written story with an intriguing heart. (map) (Fantasy. 12-16)

Pub Date: Sept. 28, 2021

ISBN: 978-1-250-26839-6

Page Count: 416

Publisher: Flatiron Books

Review Posted Online: July 27, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021

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LEGENDARY

From the Caraval series , Vol. 2

Dark, seductive, but over-the-top: Characters and book alike will enthrall those who choose to play.

Garber returns to the world of bestseller Caraval (2017), this time with the focus on younger, more daring sister Donatella.

Valenda, capital of the empire, is host to the second of Legend’s magical games in a single year, and while Scarlett doesn’t want to play again, blonde Tella is eager for a chance to prove herself. She is haunted by the memory of her death in the last game and by the cursed Deck of Destiny she used as a child which foretold her loveless future. Garber has changed many of the rules of her expanding world, which now appears to be infused with magic and evil Fates. Despite a weak plot and ultraviolet prose (“He tasted like exquisite nightmares and stolen dreams, like the wings of fallen angels, and bottles of fresh moonlight.”), this is a tour de force of imagination. Themes of love, betrayal, and the price of magic (and desire) swirl like Caraval’s enchantments, and Dante’s sensuous kisses will thrill readers as much as they do Tella. The convoluted machinations of the Prince of Hearts (one of the Fates), Legend, and even the empress serve as the impetus for Tella’s story and set up future volumes which promise to go bigger. With descriptions focusing primarily on clothing, characters’ ethnicities are often indeterminate.

Dark, seductive, but over-the-top: Characters and book alike will enthrall those who choose to play. (glossary) (Fantasy. 12-16)

Pub Date: May 29, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-250-09531-2

Page Count: 464

Publisher: Flatiron Books

Review Posted Online: March 19, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2018

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