Malay, who has twice won the Carnegie Medal for her supernatural stories (The Haunting and The Changeover), has now written a brilliant romance. More than just a romance, though, this is a haunting tale of two unusual teen-agers coming to terms with their feelings of truth, and of the fine line between lies and fairy tales. Angela May, the beautiful, illegitimate daughter of Dido May, has always asked questions about her real father. And her mother has told her stories about the wealthy man she loved but couldn't marry. As a child, Angela accepted the stories. As a young woman, she wants to know more and begins investigating. She makes Tycho Potter, her best friend but not boyfriend, an unwilling confidante as she nears the time to confront Roland Chase with her identity. She had expected that the confrontation might be unpleasant; she had not expected to learn that Dido's stories were untrue. The truth enrages her, and prompts her to do something "degrading." However, it also allows her to see that homely, bookish Tycho is the one she has loved all along; she and Tycho can at last be honest about their feelings. Teens will be moved by the emotional impact of the story, and challenged by the many ideas set forth by Tycho and Angels, who are as fascinated by philosophy and astronomy as they are by each other. The Catalogue of the Universe (the title is taken from the title of a book Angels once gave Tycho) is not for the casual reader. It is slow-going in some places, and heavy-going in others, but the journey through Angela and Tycho's minds and feelings is well worth the effort.
Pub Date: March 1, 1986
ISBN: 068985353X
Page Count: 196
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1986
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.
The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.
Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798987380406
Page Count: 538
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
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