There’s action, romance and mysticism, but ultimately, it doesn’t seem to lead anywhere.
Emma was having enough trouble with high school—and then she discovered she was destined to save the world.
Debut novelist Ashley provides more YA grist for the mill of contemporary American adolescence in the first volume of a planned trilogy. Emma thought she was just a typical alienated high school student. Now she’s suddenly going into trances, magically deflecting the unwanted attention of teachers asking questions she can’t answer, and fomenting cafeteria food fights with her mind. And there’s the cute new guy in school, Connor, whose flattering attentions lead to attempted murder. Emma, it turns out, is the descendant of a race of vaguely angelic beings called El-ahren; after a schism, four of the ruling Eidolon underwent a ritual transition to human form, called Chimeran. Emma has been born and reborn for millennia, waiting for the time, which is now, when she will Awaken, so she can find the Chimeran and prevent their ancient enemy, Malum, from overwhelming the world with his evil. Emma is guarded and trained by a small cadre—the motherly Kiana; the wise Sebastian; her ex, Jordan; the class grump, Griffin; and, to Emma’s surprise, her best friend, Sarah. Emma’s Awakening alerts the opposing Sicarians to her existence, and the group must go on the run while simultaneously searching for the hidden Chimeran. Emma’s first-person narration sounds authentically adolescent, with her obsessions about her appearance and burgeoning sexuality. This does, however, lead to some narrative dissonance; the death of Emma’s aunt in a Sicarian-set house fire, the reactions of her girlfriends to seeing Emma back together with Jordan, and the discovery that she is meant to save the world all rouse her to the same level of sullen despair. The specific mythic underpinning of the plot and the identities and loyalties of the various factions are difficult to follow—what matters is that Emma is chosen and has powers, whether she likes it or not. It becomes difficult to decide whether sentences like “As quickly as the bubonic plague spread through Europe, goosebumps broke out across my arms as I started literally freaking out” are accurate evocations of teenage hyperbole or just awkward writing. Sadly, the consistent misuse of “don” for “dawn” and the fact that everything happens “immediately” or “suddenly” leads one to suspect the latter.
There’s action, romance and mysticism, but ultimately, it doesn’t seem to lead anywhere.Pub Date: May 8, 2013
ISBN: 978-1478350071
Page Count: 518
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: July 25, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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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