A vivid but imperfect fantasy about two heroes’ journeys of self-discovery.
Consisting of two intertwining storylines, this fantasy follows two young women as they are confronted with the responsibility of saving their realm from destruction, even at the price of their own happiness—and sanity.
Teurith, the daughter of a village blacksmith, is 14 years old and too young to travel with her father when his business takes him to faraway places. So—as her mother died under mysterious circumstances when she was an infant—Teurith reluctantly stays at the local inn, owned and run by a minor lord named Magus. But her stay quickly turns nightmarish: Three evil witches, posing as benevolent travelers, attempt to assault her—or worse. Before Teurith escapes, she steals a pouch belonging to the witches. The pouch, Teurith discovers later, contains a stone artifact that gives the teen the ability to communicate with her ancestors and offers her glimpses into the future and the past. On the run from the witches, Teurith sets out on a painful but revelation-filled coming-of-age journey. Sixteen years earlier, Princess Egrith—in love with a commoner (Dirk, son of the royal blacksmith)—must maneuver through a dangerous political minefield when her father’s kingdom is threatened by treachery and war. Heartbroken after being forbidden to see Dirk by her father, Egrith discovers a secret passage in her deceased grandmother’s room. Inside a chest in the hidden corridor is a leather pouch that contains a rock that grows warm in moonlight. The rock lets her briefly communicate with her grandmother, who warns her that war is on the horizon and to guard the stone at all costs. As both storylines unfold, readers begin to understand the deep connections between Egrith and Teurith, and their struggles in life.
The character of Teurith in Cowgill’s story is an obvious strength. Her odyssey from naïve child dreaming of being a mapmaker to courageous warrior and leader makes her a protagonist whom readers will live vicariously through. And because of her flaws and insecurities, she also becomes endearing and relatable. But the same cannot be said for Egrith, whose character seems weak-willed and passive. Her deep love for Dirk—which appears to be pure and eternal—is quickly forgotten once another suitor, who comes across as a self-centered young man, gives her attention. Aside from Teurith’s deeply developed character, the overall worldbuilding (although an infrequent focus) is noteworthy when it’s a priority. In this excerpt, for example, the author immerses readers in the opulence of a royal celebration: “The servants…wear their best—long flowing skirts, billowy blouses and painted leather corsets. Torches light up the green, and younger maidens dance in a circle around a pole strewn with long ribbons. A mammoth boar on a spit roasts above a fire in the center of the yard. Servants carry pitchers of wine and mead, moving through the throng as they replenish flagons.” Lastly, Jaffe’s illustrations at the beginning of every chapter beautifully complement the tale’s dark, fantastical tone. Unfortunately, the novel’s critical flaw involves the numerous holes in the plot. Too many questions arise concerning unexplained plot points. Where did the artifact originate? Why did the witches want the stone? Why is only one magical creature mentioned? What is the prophecy referenced by the witches?
A vivid but imperfect fantasy about two heroes’ journeys of self-discovery.Pub Date: April 13, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-578-39867-9
Page Count: 177
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: July 23, 2022
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
This grittily provocative debut explores the horrors of self-harm and the healing power of artistic expression.
After surviving a suicide attempt, a fragile teen isn't sure she can endure without cutting herself.
Seventeen-year-old Charlie Davis, a white girl living on the margins, thinks she has little reason to live: her father drowned himself; her bereft and abusive mother kicked her out; her best friend, Ellis, is nearly brain dead after cutting too deeply; and she's gone through unspeakable experiences living on the street. After spending time in treatment with other young women like her—who cut, burn, poke, and otherwise hurt themselves—Charlie is released and takes a bus from the Twin Cities to Tucson to be closer to Mikey, a boy she "like-likes" but who had pined for Ellis instead. But things don't go as planned in the Arizona desert, because sweet Mikey just wants to be friends. Feeling rejected, Charlie, an artist, is drawn into a destructive new relationship with her sexy older co-worker, a "semifamous" local musician who's obviously a junkie alcoholic. Through intense, diarylike chapters chronicling Charlie's journey, the author captures the brutal and heartbreaking way "girls who write their pain on their bodies" scar and mar themselves, either succumbing or surviving. Like most issue books, this is not an easy read, but it's poignant and transcendent as Charlie breaks more and more before piecing herself back together.
This grittily provocative debut explores the horrors of self-harm and the healing power of artistic expression. (author’s note) (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-101-93471-5
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2016
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