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
A sweet if muddled tale of the magic of Appalachia.
A teenage witch goes up against the evil king of the mountain to save a cursed village.
Witch-in-training Verity Vox has spent a year apiece in different villages, helping in any way she can as she learns her art. When it’s time to move on, she receives a sign that shows her where to go next. When the latest sign appears in the form of a note begging for help that floats down on a leaf, she’s eager for the challenge. Verity winds up in Foxfire, a village in the Appalachian mountains that’s been magically cut off from the rest of the world for years, leaving its people close to starvation. The root of their suffering is a man they know as Earl, who lives in the hills and strikes deals with the townspeople that ultimately cause crops to wither, folks to disappear, and the only bridge out of the valley to crumble. Verity is determined to change the villagers’ fortunes, but to do so she’ll have to face off against not just Earl but the ancient power of the mountains itself. Loosely based on the Germanic Erlking legend and told in a voice reminiscent of folktales, the story features a queer romance and a cast that presents white. The convoluted magic system undercuts the strong themes of reciprocity, poverty, and privilege, but Appalachian readers will instantly recognize home.
A sweet if muddled tale of the magic of Appalachia. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Aug. 5, 2025
ISBN: 9798890032706
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Page Street
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
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