Spookily entertaining but ultimately disappointing.
A teen ventures into the woods in search of her missing father.
Seventeen-year-old Nova Marwood’s father disappeared in the Longing Woods near Prior’s End seven years ago, but she’s never given up on him and has secretly searched the woods for clues. Following her psychic friend Aurora’s advice, Nova’s mother begins to accept his death and plans to have him legally declared dead. Nova goes to Madame Aurora’s fortune-telling tent at the Fall Festival, planning to discredit her as a fraud, but finding it empty, she fools around with Aurora’s crystal ball—and accidentally curses her friend Kiara Mistry. Everyone Nova develops a crush on falls for Kiara instead, and Nova can understand why—she’s irresistible. When Kiara and friends plan an excursion into the woods seeking the rumored wishing well that can undo the curse, Nova joins them, swearing to help but planning to save her father instead. Strange things happen in the woods even as Nova learns more about the others and grows closer to Kiara. The explorations of ancestry, family, truth, and grief add realism, balancing the paranormal setting and shenanigans that feel ideal for younger YA readers. Nova’s bond with her father, shown through her memories, shines, and the inevitable romance between Nova and Kiara is sweet. Despite the intriguing setup and strong pacing, the ending is rushed, and the resolution feels too easy and pat. Nova reads white, and names cue ethnic diversity in the supporting cast.
Spookily entertaining but ultimately disappointing. (Paranormal. 12-16)Pub Date: July 15, 2025
ISBN: 9780593623916
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A lushly written story with an intriguing heart.
After praying to a Fate for help, Evangeline discovers the dangerous world of magic.
When her father passes away, Evangeline is left with her cold stepmother and kind but distant stepsister, Marisol. Despite inheriting a steady trust in magic, belief in her late mother’s homeland of the mystical North (where fantastical creatures live), and philosophy of hope for the future, her dreams are dashed when Luc, her love, pledges to marry Marisol instead. Evangeline desperately prays to the Prince of Hearts, a dangerous and fickle Fate famed for his heart that is waiting to be revived by his one true love—and his potentially lethal kisses. The bargain they strike sends her on a dark and magical journey throughout the land. The writing style fluctuates from clever and original to overly verbose and often confusing in its jumble of senses. While the pervasive magic and concept of the Fates as a religious system add interest, other fantasy elements are haphazardly incorporated without enough time devoted to building a cohesive world. However, the themes of love, the power of story, family influence, and holding onto belief are well rounded and add depth. The plot contains welcome surprises, and the large cast piques curiosity; readers will wish more time was spent getting to know them. Evangeline has rose-gold hair and, like other main characters, reads as White; there is diversity among the fantasy races in this world.
A lushly written story with an intriguing heart. (map) (Fantasy. 12-16)Pub Date: Sept. 28, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-26839-6
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
Dark, seductive, but over-the-top: Characters and book alike will enthrall those who choose to play.
Garber returns to the world of bestseller Caraval (2017), this time with the focus on younger, more daring sister Donatella.
Valenda, capital of the empire, is host to the second of Legend’s magical games in a single year, and while Scarlett doesn’t want to play again, blonde Tella is eager for a chance to prove herself. She is haunted by the memory of her death in the last game and by the cursed Deck of Destiny she used as a child which foretold her loveless future. Garber has changed many of the rules of her expanding world, which now appears to be infused with magic and evil Fates. Despite a weak plot and ultraviolet prose (“He tasted like exquisite nightmares and stolen dreams, like the wings of fallen angels, and bottles of fresh moonlight.”), this is a tour de force of imagination. Themes of love, betrayal, and the price of magic (and desire) swirl like Caraval’s enchantments, and Dante’s sensuous kisses will thrill readers as much as they do Tella. The convoluted machinations of the Prince of Hearts (one of the Fates), Legend, and even the empress serve as the impetus for Tella’s story and set up future volumes which promise to go bigger. With descriptions focusing primarily on clothing, characters’ ethnicities are often indeterminate.
Dark, seductive, but over-the-top: Characters and book alike will enthrall those who choose to play. (glossary) (Fantasy. 12-16)Pub Date: May 29, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-250-09531-2
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: March 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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