How long until Book 3? (Fantasy. 12 & up)
The second installment of Stiefvater’s Raven Cycle is as mind-blowingly spectacular as the first.
Now that the ley line near Henrietta, Va., has been woken, strange currents race through the town. There’s too much electricity—or none at all. The four Raven Boys—Gansey, Adam, long-dead Noah and Ronan—continue to search for the grave of the Welsh king Glendower, but now Ronan is starting to pull objects out of his dreams. Small ones, like the keys to Gansey’s Camaro, and larger, lethal nightmare creatures. But his greatest nightmare can’t be grasped—how do you hold onto home? Not-quite-psychic Blue Sargent realizes that Gansey might really be her true love—and if she kisses him, he’ll die—and meanwhile, her wholly psychic mother is dating the hit man come to steal Ronan. Stiefvater’s careful exploration of class and wealth and their limitations and opportunities astounds with its sensitivity and sophistication. The pace is electric, the prose marvelously sure-footed and strong, but it’s the complicated characters—particularly Ronan, violent, drunk, tender and tough—that meld magic and reality into an engrossing, believable whole. Remember this: Ronan never lies.
How long until Book 3? (Fantasy. 12 & up)Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-545-42494-3
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: July 16, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2013
A book to be savored rather than devoured.
Sofi longs to become a Musik and struggles with being outshone.
When the king declares that the five members of the Guild of Musiks must step down to make way for a new generation, Sofi thinks she finally has the chance to follow in her lutenist father’s footsteps and serve as his Apprentice. At the audition, however, she is upstaged by Lara, a newcomer who doesn’t even own a lute. Musicians must refrain from using magic or be Redlisted and forbidden from ever playing again. This is especially true of the Musiks and their Apprentices, who serve as the sole ambassadors and contact between Aell and the rest of the world. Though Lara does appear to be a Paper-caster, Sofi suspects her of using magic to rig the audition. To prove Lara’s guilt, Sofi offers to come with her on tour and ghostwrite her songs. As Sofi sticks to Lara in order to spy on her, she finds herself growing emotionally close to her as well. The pacing is slow and contemplative, with frequent stops to contrast Sofi’s strict training regimen with Lara’s passion for music. This juxtaposition both serves the plot and forms a running commentary on the dangers of suffering for one’s art. The magic system is easy to understand while also possessing depth. A beautiful ending speaks to the powers of both catharsis and emotional healing. Main characters read as White.
A book to be savored rather than devoured. (Fantasy. 12-18)Pub Date: April 19, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5344-8436-8
Page Count: 416
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022
A story of coming out and coming-of-age in a post–9/11 world.
As an Iranian American Muslim teen, Amir Azadi has long pondered what it would be like to come out to his parents.
In fact, he keeps a mental tally of all the positive and negative comments his parents make about gay people. But everything comes crashing down when school bullies photograph Amir kissing Jackson, the football player he’s been secretly dating. They give Amir an ultimatum: $1,000 in hush money or they will show his parents the photo. On the brink of emotional collapse, Amir runs away, landing in Rome, where he meets Jahan, a proudly gay Iranian/Dominican man, and his eclectic friends. Amir embraces the newfound freedom to be himself and experience the joys of gay culture and community. But as his family desperately searches for him and relationships with his new friends become complicated, he finds himself missing home and feels the fear of being out ebb away. The story moves back and forth in time between these events and the airport interrogation room where, following a family altercation on the plane home, Amir tells his coming-out story to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer. The narrative structure will keep readers riveted as they try to piece together events. Ahmadi’s writing is gripping, taking readers through the myriad emotions a gay Muslim teen experiences growing up in a country whose government is looking for an excuse to demonize Muslims.
A story of coming out and coming-of-age in a post–9/11 world. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 22, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-20287-6
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: July 7, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
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