Strong characterization marred by video game worldbuilding that’s best enjoyed by non-gamers.
A teenager prefers her life in the MMORPG Garlandía.
Diana, a lesbian recent high school graduate with a Black mom and white dad, barely leaves the apartment. Out in the world, she feels constantly judged and evaluated for her clothing and makeup and belittled for her autism. Online as Lune, she’s an up-and-coming streamer showcasing her gaming skills, and she has friends in fellow players Taurus and Needles (and a persistent troll who shows up to harass her). After the trio finish a difficult mission together with low health, it seems that an undignified death in a blizzard is in store for their characters. Enter Nocht, Garlandía’s top player, who never reveals her real face or voice. Nocht heals them and then asks Lune to join her in a mission. Diana is excited about spending time with her crush and idol but wonders why Nocht is interested in someone who’s playing at a much lower level. Diana’s experiences and relationships are evocative of those of many social outsiders. Refreshingly, while she’s affected by her autism, it’s never treated as something that’s wrong with her. Her portrayal avoids stereotypes, clearly showing that her issues are caused by a world that refuses to make space for her neurodivergence. The game systems of Garlandía are poorly executed, however, with a baffling in-game economy and combat system that will make those in the know flinch.
Strong characterization marred by video game worldbuilding that’s best enjoyed by non-gamers. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: July 9, 2024
ISBN: 9781636796550
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Review Posted Online: June 13, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2024
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
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in.
Black is back with another dark tale of Faerie, this one set in Faerie and launching a new trilogy.
Jude—broken, rebuilt, fueled by anger and a sense of powerlessness—has never recovered from watching her adoptive Faerie father murder her parents. Human Jude (whose brown hair curls and whose skin color is never described) both hates and loves Madoc, whose murderous nature is true to his Faerie self and who in his way loves her. Brought up among the Gentry, Jude has never felt at ease, but after a decade, Faerie has become her home despite the constant peril. Black’s latest looks at nature and nurture and spins a tale of court intrigue, bloodshed, and a truly messed-up relationship that might be the saving of Jude and the titular prince, who, like Jude, has been shaped by the cruelties of others. Fierce and observant Jude is utterly unaware of the currents that swirl around her. She fights, plots, even murders enemies, but she must also navigate her relationship with her complex family (human, Faerie, and mixed). This is a heady blend of Faerie lore, high fantasy, and high school drama, dripping with description that brings the dangerous but tempting world of Faerie to life.
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in. (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-316-31027-7
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Sept. 25, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2017
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