Surprisingly readable, given its unlikely setup
She's the destined savior of the secret oligarchy ruling the world, but she just wants her mom.
Avery used to think she was just your average violet-eyed American teenager with a mysterious past. She's since learned that she's the prophesied daughter of the Circle of Twelve, destined to marry the One to protect the Circle against their ancient enemies, the Order. Worse, she knows who the One really is, and it's not the scion of any of the 12 inbred families that include most of the world's politicians, businessmen, actors, and beautiful people. Instead it's Stellan, the gorgeous childhood best frenemy of Avery's forbidden love, Jack. Of course, none of this will matter if they don't rescue Avery's mother, a hostage of the Order, by solving the ancient puzzle of Napoleon on an old bracelet. Meanwhile Avery's powerful blood family—the Saxons, the British members of the Circle of Twelve—are determined to marry her off to another Circle house in an attempt to consolidate power. If only the Order weren't bumping off the few bearable candidates for Avery's hand as fast as she can meet them. And of course, there'll soon be the sudden yet inevitable betrayals. The novel reads like a heap of “chosen one” tropes thrown in a blender, and it centers on an epic battle between two forces composed mostly of jerks. Despite its retrograde premise, this love-triangle thriller features a pleasing moment of responsible sexual choice.
Surprisingly readable, given its unlikely setup . (Thriller. 12-16)Pub Date: March 8, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-399-16651-8
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Dec. 21, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
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
An atmospheric and entertaining thriller perfect for snowy night chills.
A group of teens stranded in a snowstorm discovers a murderer in their midst.
While traveling on the highway to a state theater competition, Nell and her friends Min, Raven, Adam, and Jermaine are caught in a dangerous blizzard. Their teacher, Mrs. McElroy, who is driving the minivan, decides to stop for the night at the run-down and shady-looking Travel Inn and Out. The motel is labyrinthine and spooky, with dingy corridors and walls adorned with moldering kitsch. Nell and the gang meet another group of kids who are also stranded by the storm, making fast friends. A game of Two Truths and a Lie starts out flirty and fun but devolves into something more sinister when one slip of paper reads “I like to watch people die,” and “I’ve lost count of how many people I’ve killed.” The snow falls and the winds howl, and soon power and cell service are lost, cutting off the motel patrons from the outside world. As the first victim is discovered and the body count begins to grow, the terror becomes palpable. Everyone at the motel seems to have an insidious secret: Will Nell be able to uncover the killer before they strike again? An homage to Agatha Christie, Henry’s locked-room mystery is tautly plotted, with quick-moving nail-biting chapters, relatable characters, and a deftly wrought setting that paradoxically manages to feel both claustrophobic and sprawling. Nell is White; there is diversity among the secondary characters.
An atmospheric and entertaining thriller perfect for snowy night chills. (Mystery. 12-16)Pub Date: May 24, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-316-32333-8
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2022
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