A fast-paced series opener.
Dorothy wasn’t the first young girl to take an epic journey down the Yellow Brick Road.
Long before becoming the Good Witch of the South, Glinda Gavaria was a wide-eyed, red-haired white teenager from Quadling Country whose biggest worry was what career she would be forced to accept. Poised to follow in her mother’s footsteps as a seamstress, Glinda quickly learns that life in Oz is nothing like what it seems. Her mother, a seemingly benign seamstress, is actually a powerful sorceress whose revolutionary faction is trying to restore Princess Ozma to the throne, stolen from her while fighting against the four wicked witches who have a stranglehold on the four Oz kingdoms. In Fiedler’s dystopian reimagining of the Oz mythos, the country is suppressed by four wicked witches who forbid the use of magic while subjugating the citizens to the rule of a secret evil sorceress to whom the witches owe their allegiance. While this novel stands alone on its own merits, readers familiar with Baum’s original series will enjoy spending time with famous characters such as the malevolent Mombi and Nick Chopper midway through his transformation into the Tin Woodsman. The author crafts an intricate world filled with excitement and magical creatures, but unfortunately Glinda’s character does not fully crystallize before she is swept up in her adventure.
A fast-paced series opener. (Fantasy. 12-17)Pub Date: May 16, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4814-6971-5
Page Count: 432
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: Feb. 19, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2017
A sorrowful yet ultimately redeeming tale.
A grandson’s loving homage to his war-scarred grandfather.
Michael has been told to never stare at his grandfather when he comes for rare visits. During World War II, Grandpa served on a British merchant vessel that was torpedoed and engulfed in flames, leaving his face a grotesque mask. When Michael turns 12, he starts spending summers with Grandpa, fishing off the Isles of Scilly. It is only when Michael is older, a high school graduate, that the grandfather recounts what happened in all its horrific detail. Facially disfigured, missing fingers and turning to drink, he was abandoned by his wife, who took their daughter, the narrator’s mother, with her. “No one wants a monster for a husband. No one wants half a man….” At his death, he leaves a note for his grandson asking that the family gather together to scatter his ashes in the sea. They do, and gannets, a sign of good luck, fly overhead. Morpurgo writes with great sensitivity and grace, dedicating the book to a World War II burn victim who underwent experimental reconstructive surgery. The ink-and–screen-printed illustrations in blues and oranges vividly contrast the violence of the recalled violence with the calm serenity of water. Veterans are still returning from war with scars and trauma; this short story may help families heal.
A sorrowful yet ultimately redeeming tale. (Fiction. 12-16)Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-7636-7747-3
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2014
A theme-packed pre-apocalyptic story for ideas-loving readers.
A giant asteroid’s on a collision course with Earth.
Mild-mannered scientist Professor Sheppard is abducted in the middle of the night and brought to a supersecret facility where other scientific and mathematical great minds—all having supposedly died of unrelated medical problems and mishaps within the past months—have been sequestered to solve the problem of the planet-destroying asteroid. A few years later, the similar abduction of billionaire genius Joshua Fitchett is thwarted by his private security, and he goes public about the doomsday asteroid. Sixteen years further on—one year until predicted impact—civilization’s in tatters. Some accept imminent death and live lawlessly; some hope a Hail Mary from Sheppard and the scientists will save them; some join a popular religious movement that believes in thwarting the Devil-serving scientists who are trying to stop God’s plan. While mentioned, violence isn’t graphic. Meanwhile, street kid Billy civilizes a large gang, drawing the attention of another mysterious group. The steady march to potential annihilation is punctuated by attempts to save or doom Earth. A third-person omniscient viewpoint and straightforward voice keep the numerous characters and plotlines organized. Narrative tension stems from not knowing whether the scientists will succeed, the warring philosophies of transparency and secrecy, and hope vs. pragmatism and cynicism. The cliffhanger demands a sequel.
A theme-packed pre-apocalyptic story for ideas-loving readers. (Science fiction. 12-16)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-385-67006-7
Page Count: 319
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
Review Posted Online: June 9, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2015
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