Appealing characters merge seamlessly into a strong plot that captures readers early on and doesn’t let go until the very...
Sabel delivers a novel combining teen romance and espionage, with a touch of the supernatural and just a dash of humor.
Callie Sinclair is not your normal teenager. Graduating early from high school, she takes a job with the government, using her psychic abilities to seek out radiation signatures. She can’t tell her career-driven but loving single mom the truth and can’t even let her longtime love, Charlie, in on the secret. She can’t move to the East Coast with Charlie to pursue college, even though that’s what she wants; her job is too important for that. So when Jasper, another psychic, arrives from New York City to work with her, it’s a relief. Finally, there is someone in her life who understands the real Callie. As her attraction to Jasper grows, Callie is torn between new feelings and old while continuing to see visions of destruction and despair. The plot becomes ever more complicated as Sabel balances romance against Callie’s unusual job, which involves a growing host of untrustworthy characters. Sabel effectively takes Callie into murky ethical waters as she uses her talents to spy on Charlie and other loved ones, a misstep that brings her heartache and causes her to question those she thought she could trust, even as it drives the plot.
Appealing characters merge seamlessly into a strong plot that captures readers early on and doesn’t let go until the very last chapter. (Paranormal thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: May 31, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-223198-7
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
Thrilling, timely, and terrific.
Tragedy and heroism interweave in a story about revolution, resistance, and beautiful queer love.
After the devastating ending to We Set the Dark on Fire (2019), Carmen Santos, no longer the Segunda to Mateo Garcia, Medio’s most powerful heir, is on the run toward the La Voz headquarters. Carmen used to be one of the resistance’s most well-respected members, but after years away on undercover assignment, she finds the fabled El Buitre’s wavering leadership has taken a new, hazardous direction. Proving that her allegiance to the cause remains as strong as ever is more difficult than expected, her heart torn between her beliefs and Dani, the girl she has fallen in love with but doesn’t know yet if she can fully trust. Shifting perspective and setting to Carmen and the La Voz camp (after the first novel centered Dani and the capital) is a bold choice that ultimately pans out as readers are rewarded with Carmen’s strong, determined voice and Mejia’s lush writing depicting the complexities of the ongoing fight against oppression in a divided, Latinx-inspired world. Carmen’s divided heart rings true, her daring actions meeting deadly consequences that realistically intensify the narrative without losing track of what the fight is all about: equality for all. A second—and final—volume that not only surpasses the accomplishments of its celebrated predecessor, but takes it to a higher, brighter level.
Thrilling, timely, and terrific. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 25, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-06-269134-7
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Dec. 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A celebration of Black teen love and the magic of possibility.
Six authors collaborate to create an interwoven story set during a blackout.
Unbearably hot temperatures in New York City cause a sudden blackout, simultaneously throwing plans into chaos and creating unexpected opportunities. Contributor Clayton, who is joined by YA superstars Jackson, Stone, Thomas, Woodfolk, and Yoon, was inspired by Covid-19 and the “metaphorical blackout” it has created for the world to initiate this project that embraces a wide spectrum of Blackness and sexuality. The characters’ final destination is a block party in Brooklyn with Jackson’s “The Long Walk,” a story about reconnecting exes told in five acts, serving as the overarching mechanism to connect the narratives. Stone and Woodfolk contribute queer love stories in “Mask Off” and “Made To Fit” respectively. Thomas’ “No Sleep ’Til Brooklyn” begins as a love triangle, progresses to a love quadrangle—and in the end is about self-love and discovery. Clayton’s story, “All the Great Love Stories…and Dust,” is set in the New York Public Library’s main branch and centers on best friends who may become something more. Yoon’s piece completes the novel with strangers finding love in a ride-share car in “Seymour and Grace.” Working together to deliver a fantastic mix of humor and romance, these authors offer something fun and lighthearted that is welcome during the continuing pandemic and that will bring joy long after it’s over.
A celebration of Black teen love and the magic of possibility. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 22, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-06-308809-2
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: April 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2021
BOOK TO SCREEN
SEEN & HEARD
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