A sympathetic young hero ignites this wholly absorbing tale of magic, intrigue, and adolescent drama.
In Kramer’s YA fantasy novel, an American teen harboring newfound magic uncovers secrets at her academy.
When 16-year-old Amoura Renly fights back against a belligerent bully, the situation literally turns explosive. Witches are a regular part of society in this novel’s world; Amoura, however, had no idea she was one. She’s invited to attend San Francisco’s Elderwood, a school for the “magically inclined.” This may be a place where she fits in, unlike back home in Portland, where she’d been a loner in school. Now, she has friends, and even the attention of a guy who turns most heads. Sadly, not everyone is a fan of Amoura’s, including a professor who’s tough on her from the beginning. But that may not be the worst of it: Why does it seem that someone is scrubbing “forbidden topics” from the witches’ history? And why has the corruption-rooting Purity Champion Program been arresting people? Amoura’s obsession with digging up answers may take precedence over her schoolwork—and honing the magic she has trouble controlling. There’s a lot brewing in Kramer’s tautly written story as Amoura dreams of a mysterious Woman in White who provides vague, ominous advice (“Learn the stories that go untold… You’ll find yourself within them”). The multilayered protagonist is a relatable teen struggling with “anger issues” as she investigates secrets about her relatively murky past. It’s perfectly understandable that this novel focuses on Amoura, who narrates, but readers learn very little about the nonetheless engaging supporting cast, including Amoura’s two doting fathers; her bubbly roommate, June Montgomery; and headmaestress Dr. Blackwood, whose stony demeanor can’t entirely hide her warmheartedness. Happily, these compelling characters, and the potential subplots Amoura stirs up, are now primed for sequels to expand upon.
A sympathetic young hero ignites this wholly absorbing tale of magic, intrigue, and adolescent drama.Pub Date: June 9, 2026
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 28, 2026
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
This grittily provocative debut explores the horrors of self-harm and the healing power of artistic expression.
After surviving a suicide attempt, a fragile teen isn't sure she can endure without cutting herself.
Seventeen-year-old Charlie Davis, a white girl living on the margins, thinks she has little reason to live: her father drowned himself; her bereft and abusive mother kicked her out; her best friend, Ellis, is nearly brain dead after cutting too deeply; and she's gone through unspeakable experiences living on the street. After spending time in treatment with other young women like her—who cut, burn, poke, and otherwise hurt themselves—Charlie is released and takes a bus from the Twin Cities to Tucson to be closer to Mikey, a boy she "like-likes" but who had pined for Ellis instead. But things don't go as planned in the Arizona desert, because sweet Mikey just wants to be friends. Feeling rejected, Charlie, an artist, is drawn into a destructive new relationship with her sexy older co-worker, a "semifamous" local musician who's obviously a junkie alcoholic. Through intense, diarylike chapters chronicling Charlie's journey, the author captures the brutal and heartbreaking way "girls who write their pain on their bodies" scar and mar themselves, either succumbing or surviving. Like most issue books, this is not an easy read, but it's poignant and transcendent as Charlie breaks more and more before piecing herself back together.
This grittily provocative debut explores the horrors of self-harm and the healing power of artistic expression. (author’s note) (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-101-93471-5
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2016
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