An inventive fantasy rich in family lore and helmed by a quick-witted lead.
A young woman learns to harness her family’s unique powers in this YA/fantasy novel.
Naya’s family is steeped in unusual traditions. They are artists, and her mother and grandmother run a local clothing shop. They also possess the ability to “walk the lines,” or see visual timelines of those around them, including their past acts and future choices. Naya’s mother and grandmother are secretive and private, and they expect Naya to follow in their footsteps by becoming a painter or a weaver while keeping her powers concealed. But Naya wants to be a doctor and use her powers to heal people. When she asks permission to attend science camp, her grandmother issues a challenge: If she can complete a soul wrap, an artistic representation of herself, she can go; if not, she must give up her science dreams forever. Naya plays to win, but unbeknownst to her, her magical talents have been noticed by someone who covets them for himself. Can Naya use her abilities to save herself and her family? Pascual creates an involving world via well-drawn familial bonds and vibrant settings, and she artfully depicts the use of magic: “The energy gathered around her fingertips like static. She skimmed just a little off the doctor’s line, just enough to feel his purpose, his conviction a shining glow. She pulled the spool of silk thread out of her pocket and wrapped the energy around the whole spool until it pulsed and hummed.” Naya is easy to root for—stubborn, naïve, sheltered, but also brave, ambitious, and caring. Considering the book’s strong focus on family history and secrets, it’s a bit surprising that the antagonist has little connection to Naya’s backstory; his interest in her is motivated purely by greed. He is, however, suitably menacing as Naya attempts to best him in a magical battle of wits.
An inventive fantasy rich in family lore and helmed by a quick-witted lead.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: SparkPress
Review Posted Online: Jan. 2, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet if muddled tale of the magic of Appalachia.
A teenage witch goes up against the evil king of the mountain to save a cursed village.
Witch-in-training Verity Vox has spent a year apiece in different villages, helping in any way she can as she learns her art. When it’s time to move on, she receives a sign that shows her where to go next. When the latest sign appears in the form of a note begging for help that floats down on a leaf, she’s eager for the challenge. Verity winds up in Foxfire, a village in the Appalachian mountains that’s been magically cut off from the rest of the world for years, leaving its people close to starvation. The root of their suffering is a man they know as Earl, who lives in the hills and strikes deals with the townspeople that ultimately cause crops to wither, folks to disappear, and the only bridge out of the valley to crumble. Verity is determined to change the villagers’ fortunes, but to do so she’ll have to face off against not just Earl but the ancient power of the mountains itself. Loosely based on the Germanic Erlking legend and told in a voice reminiscent of folktales, the story features a queer romance and a cast that presents white. The convoluted magic system undercuts the strong themes of reciprocity, poverty, and privilege, but Appalachian readers will instantly recognize home.
A sweet if muddled tale of the magic of Appalachia. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Aug. 5, 2025
ISBN: 9798890032706
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Page Street
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
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