Strong characters remain the focus in this confident, imaginative fantasy.
A teenager enters a world of demon hunts and malicious Greek gods in this YA fantasy debut.
High school senior Alice Daniels has just moved from Colorado to Phoenix. She’s welcomed to the neighborhood by David Martin, a handsome but oddly unsettling Remington High student. He invites Alice to a party to mark the end of summer, which her mother insists that she attend. At the party, Alice learns that David is a true creep and capable of foul pranks—such as throwing fish guts on new students. Later that night, Alice finds David’s Porsche and covers it in eggs. She also sees through his home’s windows that several girls have him tied up, and black tendrils twist out from his eyes. Alice is soon confronted by a “beautiful stranger” with “pale blue eyes” whom she would “lie down and die for.” This is Colin Tinsley, leader of a group of teens who hunt demons. His partners are Olivia Diaz, Sharon Roxland, and Hadley Caldwell. These “Wayward Sisters” use a Realm of mirrors to track humans possessed by demons across the globe. Their patron deity is the Greek Philautia, who gives pieces of her soul to mortals, empowering them. When Alice learns that she’s the final portion of Philautia’s soul, she becomes entangled in a centuries-old power game that her heart may not survive. Borja’s series opener radiates the youthful, sisterly glow of classic TV shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Charmed. Everyone readers meet, from Alice’s dad, Gavin, to her aunt Molly, helps provide excellent twists that deepen the hero’s turmoil. The Realm is fabulously portrayed as a topsy-turvy wonderland of mirrors, as in the line “Every single one was displaying part of a vast blue sky, complete with fluffy white clouds and even...birds traversing from one mirror to the next.” The romance is superb and highlights the author’s flair for dialogue. Colin says, “You knock the wind out of me,” and Alice replies, “I guess I’ve found my calling.” Skillful reversals keep the narrative crackling, and the final scene hints at an appealing sequel.
Strong characters remain the focus in this confident, imaginative fantasy.Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-68463-173-5
Page Count: 368
Publisher: SparkPress
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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 lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.
The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.
Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798987380406
Page Count: 538
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
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