An intense, timeless work that’s both literary and inviting.
A caravan holiday in Wales turns into a desperate search for a missing and forgotten girl in this award-winning British import.
When 11-year-old Libby sneaks out to climb the Manorbier church tower at midnight during a winter solstice full moon, Kit, convinced that her overimaginative little sister is just getting carried away again, follows behind to keep her safe. But things go dramatically awry, and Kit awakens back in the caravan, at first convinced she’s had another nightmare. She soon realizes that all traces of Libby’s existence have vanished—including from their mum’s memory. Far from her London home, trying to ignore the cruel school bully who’s texting her and determined to find her sister, Kit is relieved to meet Story, a boy around her age who was abandoned by his mother and is living alone in his Nan’s caravan. Remarkably, Story remembers Libby. As the white-presenting teens investigate, they discover ancient lore, question which of the strange adults they encounter are trustworthy, and bond over their love for nature—Kit adores birds and Story is fascinated by the stars. Marrying wild magic with a passionate love for the natural world, this work holds strong appeal for fans of David Almond, Susan Cooper, and Cornelia Funke. De Freston’s spot art—depicting a hagstone, starlings in flight, a puffin, a circle of standing stones—contributes to a rich sense of place that makes the Pembrokeshire coast setting come alive.
An intense, timeless work that’s both literary and inviting. (author’s note) (Fantasy. 12-16)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2026
ISBN: 9781782694007
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Pushkin Children’s Books
Review Posted Online: June 1, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
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
Despite some missteps, this will appeal to readers who enjoy a fresh and realistic teen voice.
A teenage, not-so-lonely loner endures the wilds of high school in Austin, Texas.
Norris Kaplan, the protagonist of Philippe’s debut novel, is a hypersweaty, uber-snarky black, Haitian, French-Canadian pushing to survive life in his new school. His professor mom’s new tenure-track job transplants Norris mid–school year, and his biting wit and sarcasm are exposed through his cataloging of his new world in a field guide–style burn book. He’s greeted in his new life by an assortment of acquaintances, Liam, who is white and struggling with depression; Maddie, a self-sacrificing white cheerleader with a heart of gold; and Aarti, his Indian-American love interest who offers connection. Norris’ ego, fueled by his insecurities, often gets in the way of meaningful character development. The scenes showcasing his emotional growth are too brief and, despite foreshadowing, the climax falls flat because he still gets incredible personal access to people he’s hurt. A scene where Norris is confronted by his mother for getting drunk and belligerent with a white cop is diluted by his refusal or inability to grasp the severity of the situation and the resultant minor consequences. The humor is spot-on, as is the representation of the black diaspora; the opportunity for broader conversations about other topics is there, however, the uneven buildup of detailed, meaningful exchanges and the glibness of Norris’ voice detract.
Despite some missteps, this will appeal to readers who enjoy a fresh and realistic teen voice. (Fiction. 13-16)Pub Date: Jan. 8, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-06-282411-0
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Oct. 14, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
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