A coherent and ultimately hopeful alternate reality.
Teens rip open the universe in an attempt to defeat the Nazis in this queer World War II fantasy.
It’s September 1942. Eighteen-year-old Liam, a gay, White academic prodigy who recently graduated from Princeton, has traveled to Germany (by commercial airline, one of the few historical missteps) in search of a medieval manuscript he hopes will help him understand and refine his mysterious powers. Liam has learned to access a parallel universe full of dark energy that he hopes will defeat the Nazis. Unfortunately, the Nazis know how to reach it, too. Liam is soon joined by Jewish siblings Daniel and Rebeka—out for revenge after they were sent to the Łódź ghetto and the rest of their family was murdered—and two members of the resistance—Simone, an Algerian-born Muslim lesbian, and Phillip, a Black American from the U.S. Army whose secret mission is never fully explained. Slimy monsters cross into our universe; the protagonists react with violence—and romance—while fighting for justice. Nonstop action, consistent worldbuilding, and a large cast of sympathetic characters, all of them marginalized in some way, create an engaging story.
A coherent and ultimately hopeful alternate reality. (Historical fantasy. 12-18)Pub Date: Feb. 23, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-11647-0
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2020
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
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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