A series to watch; obviously an early effort, but with clever character development and high-stakes drama.
Mermaid-vampire Kristella struggles to find a balance between her human and supernatural lives in the face of a wedding, vengeful goblins and a prophecy.
The second book of Everson’s Mermaid Vampire Chronicles picks up where the first left off, with Kriss, recently brought into the world of mermaid vampires, trying to figure out what her life should now include. While it’s possible to glean enough of the first book to enjoy this one on its own, reading in order is definitely recommended. Kriss, an adopted teenage girl, has recently discovered her true identity: She’s a mermaid vampire, descended from the Sirens themselves, and her true parents aren’t dead but lay trapped somewhere, along with the families of the other mermaid vampires living secretly in her town of Bay View, Calif. She’s been spending a lot of time with her makeshift mermaid-vampire family and her boyfriend Garrid in Bay View, and she finds it difficult to maintain her relationship with her adoptive family. To make matters worse, her adoptive sister Eve recently ran away to join the werewolves, and Kriss hopes every day to hear from her, even though werewolves are sworn enemies of the mermaid vampires. Luckily, there’s enough going on that she doesn’t have time to dwell on her missing sister. Her biological brother, fellow mermaid-vampire Jake, is getting married, bringing plenty of new people to town, including Garrid’s ex-girlfriends and troublemaking cousin. If that weren’t enough, there are goblins hunting them. There are lots of characters to get to know, but they stand out as individuals since Everson skillfully uses archetypes to identify characters while playing with type, motivation and background. While there’s a lot of contrived drama, it doesn’t diminish the primary questions: Will Kriss leave her adoptive family for her biological family, as her sister did? Will her sister return safely? Unfortunately, the supernatural themes get little airtime. Kriss and her friends could be ordinary humans; aside from their special powers, it isn’t clear that they are mermaids or vampires or why that matters.
A series to watch; obviously an early effort, but with clever character development and high-stakes drama.Pub Date: June 27, 2013
ISBN: 978-1477694718
Page Count: 164
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Aug. 27, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.
A fifth-grade New Orleans girl discovers a mysterious chrysalis containing an unexpected creature in this middle-grade novel.
Jacquelyn Marie Johnson, called Jackie, is a 10-year-old African-American girl, the second oldest and the only girl of six siblings. She’s responsible, smart, and enjoys being in charge; she likes “paper dolls and long division and imagining things she had never seen.” Normally, Jackie has no trouble obeying her strict but loving parents. But when her potted snapdragon acquires a peculiar egg or maybe a chrysalis (she dubs it a chrysalegg), Jackie’s strong desire to protect it runs up against her mother’s rule against plants in the house. Jackie doesn’t exactly mean to lie, but she tells her mother she needs to keep the snapdragon in her room for a science project and gets permission. Jackie draws the chrysalegg daily, waiting for something to happen as it gets larger. When the amazing creature inside breaks free, Jackie is more determined than ever to protect it, but this leads her further into secrets and lies. The results when her parents find out are painful, and resolving the problem will take courage, honesty, and trust. Dumas (Jaden Toussaint, the Greatest: Episode 5, 2017, etc.) presents a very likable character in Jackie. At 10, she’s young enough to enjoy playing with paper dolls but has a maturity that even older kids can lack. She’s resourceful, as when she wants to measure a red spot on the chrysalegg; lacking calipers, she fashions one from her hairpin. Jackie’s inward struggle about what to obey—her dearest wishes or the parents she loves—is one many readers will understand. The book complicates this question by making Jackie’s parents, especially her mother, strict (as one might expect to keep order in a large family) but undeniably loving and protective as well—it’s not just a question of outwitting clueless adults. Jackie’s feelings about the creature (tender and responsible but also more than a little obsessive) are similarly shaded rather than black-and-white. The ending suggests that an intriguing sequel is to come.
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943169-32-0
Page Count: 212
Publisher: Plum Street Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.
In the ninth book in the Bluford young-adult series, a young Latino man walks away from violence—but at great personal cost.
In a large Southern California city, 16-year-old Martin Luna hangs out on the fringes of gang life. He’s disaffected, fatherless and increasingly drawn into the orbit of the older, rougher Frankie. When a stray bullet kills Martin’s adored 8-year-old brother, Huero, Martin seems to be heading into a life of crime. But Martin’s mother, determined not to lose another son, moves him to another neighborhood—the fictional town of Bluford, where he attends the racially diverse Bluford High. At his new school, the still-grieving Martin quickly makes enemies and gets into trouble. But he also makes friends with a kind English teacher and catches the eye of Vicky, a smart, pretty and outgoing Bluford student. Martin’s first-person narration supplies much of the book’s power. His dialogue is plain, but realistic and believable, and the authors wisely avoid the temptation to lard his speech with dated and potentially embarrassing slang. The author draws a vivid and affecting picture of Martin’s pain and confusion, bringing a tight-lipped teenager to life. In fact, Martin’s character is so well drawn that when he realizes the truth about his friend Frankie, readers won’t feel as if they are watching an after-school special, but as though they are observing the natural progression of Martin’s personal growth. This short novel appears to be aimed at urban teens who don’t often see their neighborhoods portrayed in young-adult fiction, but its sophisticated characters and affecting story will likely have much wider appeal.
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2004
ISBN: 978-1591940173
Page Count: 152
Publisher: Townsend Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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