A short, enjoyable fantasy that revels in delightful quirkiness.
Two eccentric people stumble into a bizarre and precarious alternate world in Wasserman’s debut novella.
Regalbop’s origins are somewhat murky. He and his parents hail from planet Zorian and now live on Earth. Regalbop sports a unique look: He’s hairless, with skin the color and texture of an avocado, big ears and feet, and a large nose. One day, that nose falls off, which draws a crowd, including the bulging-eyed, red-cheeked Pollybip. She helps to recover and reattach his nose, but later, when Regalbop’s ears also fall off, she walks away with them. This leads to mishaps with the police; before long, they’re both dodging the authorities. Amazingly, Regalbop and Pollybip pass through a mirror in his attic into a parallel world with quicksandlike green slime and scary creatures that want to eat them. The two must fight just to survive, much less pursue any hope of making it back home. Radiant details enliven both the characters and the landscape; a largely barren, pale blue desert is trailed by an atmospheric fog that’s too easy to lose oneself in. The relatively few outlandish creatures include birds with huge wingspans and a bright-red predator that stands 15 feet tall and has an even longer tail. But as exciting as this strange dimension is, it’s not quite as fun or gleefully offbeat as the misadventures the two leads have in their own world. Their bumbling is hilarious; when the police question Regalbop, he can only hear Pollybip, who still has his ears, singing in the shower (“Soon Regalbop heard Pollybip introducing herself to a police officer, and he knew she had come to the station and had his ears with her. Oh, thank heavens, he thought”). The story concludes with a somewhat abrupt ending that implies illuminating sequels will follow.
A short, enjoyable fantasy that revels in delightful quirkiness.Pub Date: Jan. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9781958217924
Page Count: 83
Publisher: Stillwater River Publications
Review Posted Online: May 28, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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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