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
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and...
A deliciously creepy page-turning gem from first-time writer and illustrator Brosgol finds brooding teenager Anya trying to escape the past—both her own and the ghost haunting her.
Anya feels out of place at her preppy private school; embarrassed by her Russian heritage, she has worked hard to lose her accent and to look more like everyone else. After a particularly frustrating morning at the bus stop, Anya storms off, only to accidentally fall down a well. Down in the dark hole, she meets Emily, a ghost who claims to be a murder victim trapped down in the dank abyss for 90 years. With Emily’s help, Anya manages to escape, though once free, she learns that Emily has traveled out with her. At first, Emily seems like the perfect friend; however, once her motives become clear, Anya learns that “perfect” may only be an illusion. A moodily atmospheric spectrum of grays washes over the clean, tidy panels, setting a distinct stage before the first words appear. Brosgol’s tight storytelling invokes the chilling feeling of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline (2002), though for a decidedly older set.
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and outward appearance. (Graphic supernatural fiction. 12 & up)Pub Date: June 7, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-59643-552-0
Page Count: 224
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: April 18, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2011
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