Grisly, dark, and utterly entrancing.
A young alchemist uses unconventional practices to climb the social ladder.
Seventeen-year-old Fan Zilan, who is Hàn Chinese and Scotian, dreams of becoming a royal alchemist like those who discovered the immortality elixir made of gold. Orphaned in a small village in Guangzhou, Zilan works at Auntie So and Uncle Fan’s struggling store, where they make and sell míngqì—clay vessels for burials. She illegally performs life alchemy to resurrect the dead and bring in extra money. Zilan and her cousins finally get the chance for better lives by heading up north to the capital to take the all-important civil service exams. Competition is fierce, and, as someone poor and half-foreign, the odds are against her, but Zilan must succeed in order to provide for her family. She’s garnered a reputation in Chang’an for her resurrections, and Crown Prince Li Hong seeks out her services. Tangled up in royal secrets, dangerous politics, and monstrous alchemical experiments, fierce Zilan struggles and fights for her place. Set in an alternate Tang dynasty China, this dark historical fantasy presents an enchanting, immersive world in which the manipulation of elements knows no bounds. Centered around life and death, this fast-paced story is gory and gruesome but lightened by moments of levity. Baker touches on racism, sexism, classism, identity, and family and friendship ties. Contemporary Mandarin and Cantonese words are woven into this dark duology opener.
Grisly, dark, and utterly entrancing. (content note, historical note) (Historical fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 3, 2023
ISBN: 9781335458018
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Review Posted Online: July 31, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
A contemporary hero’s journey, brilliantly told.
The 17-year-old son of a troubled rock star is determined to find his own way in life and love.
On the verge of adulthood, Blade Morrison wants to leave his father’s bad-boy reputation for drug-and-alcohol–induced antics and his sister’s edgy lifestyle behind. The death of his mother 10 years ago left them all without an anchor. Named for the black superhero, Blade shares his family’s connection to music but resents the paparazzi that prevent him from having an open relationship with the girl that he loves. However, there is one secret even Blade is unaware of, and when his sister reveals the truth of his heritage during a bitter fight, Blade is stunned. When he finally gains some measure of equilibrium, he decides to investigate, embarking on a search that will lead him to a small, remote village in Ghana. Along the way, he meets people with a sense of purpose, especially Joy, a young Ghanaian who helps him despite her suspicions of Americans. This rich novel in verse is full of the music that forms its core. In addition to Alexander and co-author Hess’ skilled use of language, references to classic rock songs abound. Secondary characters add texture to the story: does his girlfriend have real feelings for Blade? Is there more to his father than his inability to stay clean and sober? At the center is Blade, fully realized and achingly real in his pain and confusion.
A contemporary hero’s journey, brilliantly told. (Verse fiction. 14-adult)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-310-76183-9
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Blink
Review Posted Online: April 30, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2017
PERSPECTIVES
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