An unhurried but engrossing start for a potentially riveting paranormal series.
A teenage outcast’s new friends help her discover her supernatural abilities and shocking origin in Craven’s debut YA urban fantasy.
Most people stay away from 15-year-old Allie Carmichael, as they have an apparent aversion to her touch, which renders her nearly friendless. Her parents’ jobs keep the family moving from place to place, but Allie feels that their latest move to Cleveland might not be so bad when she meets Aidan McBrien. He’s not the least bit intimidated by her, and their mutual attraction is instantaneous. It’s odd, though, that, like Allie, Aidan and all of his pals are adopted. Allie, who’s accustomed to being a pariah, suddenly has friends, including Aidan’s older sister Sasha, and later, a new boyfriend, Vince. When a fireworks accident turns into a raging fire, Allie, Aidan, and their friend Kayla miraculously survive. Aidan’s family feels that they have no choice but to explain some things to Allie on her 16th birthday. It turns out that it’s the time of her Awakening, a painful rite of passage for Immortals during which she begins to exhibit other extraordinary, supernatural abilities. Many in her circle of friends have endured their own Awakenings. Before she can fully register this information, she’s undergoing weapons and martial arts training and honing other skills, such as clairvoyance. She’s reluctant to fight anyone, but she may soon have to battle the members of the Coalition, which is run by mortals but armed with Immortal allies. The bulk of the novel follows Allie as her mentors train her, and she can see their memories; one trainer, Emma, for example, may have witnessed the Coalition’s genesis back in 16th-century Paris. Allie’s concurrent high school life, however, is unfortunately dropped from the plot. Her romance with mere mortal Vince generates searing melodrama between the couple and Aidan, who wants more than Allie’s friendship. The narrative defines various powers more clearly as it goes along: Aidan has healing capabilities, for example, and Allie can, among other things, absorb solar energy. The best power, however, is one that Allie and Aidan share, which later proves to be a hilarious distraction when Allie goes on a date. The buildup regarding the oft-discussed Coalition has a superb payoff when the baddies finally make an appearance, resulting in a bloody, intense confrontation. The story leaves plenty unresolved, of course, paving the way for sequels.
An unhurried but engrossing start for a potentially riveting paranormal series.Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-9909819-1-6
Page Count: 438
Publisher: Midnight Hour Studio
Review Posted Online: April 20, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An adrenaline rush of a novel about an oppressive America that promises more to come.
Lawson (Counteract, 2015, etc.) continues to delve into a terrifying world of conspiracy and totalitarianism in this YA thriller, the second in her Resistance series.
Picking up immediately after the events of Counteract, this sequel throws readers into the action, as Tommy Bailey and Careen Catecher have become scapegoats for the American government and the powerful Office of Civilian Safety and Defense. It would be bad enough if they’d only interrupted a press conference and informed the public that the OCSD’s latest project—an antidote to a terrorist chemical weapon—was a hoax designed to drug and control the populace. But the director of the agency died on camera just after Careen’s shocking announcement, so she has become public enemy No. 1. While much of the first volume dealt with mystery and investigation, the stakes have only become higher in this sequel, as the confused and frightened lovers must fight for their lives and figure out how they fit into the anti–OCSD Resistance. Of course, even once the most immediate danger recedes, the Resistance fails to provide a perfect safe haven, with internal strife, confusion, treachery, and jealousy causing a wide array of problems for the couple. On top of all that, there’s the nightmare of Madalyn Davies, the wolfish new head of the OCSD and the person responsible for much of Careen and Tommy’s predicament. In a world where so few individuals have any power at all, a villain who abuses and hoards hers to such an extent is all the more striking. The setting of the series becomes even more intriguing here, as it’s difficult to imagine going against an unjust government when citizens have already given up nearly all of their basic rights and freedoms in the name of safety. The perspective of the Resistance and some forays into Tommy’s and Careen’s families and pasts also allow for a greater exploration of what they’ve really lost, driving the severity of their situation home even more than in the initial book. Character and setting were great strengths of the first installment, but they’re given even greater depth here, imparting surprise and insight with every page turned.
An adrenaline rush of a novel about an oppressive America that promises more to come.Pub Date: Aug. 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-9966108-2-7
Page Count: 248
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: March 11, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A tight, exciting, and thoughtful first volume in what promises to be a fine series about a female ninja.
In this YA historical novel set in Japan’s Sengoku period, a girl who adores climbing attends an unusual school.
“Your mother sold you to me this morning.” With this, young Kano Murasaki, called Risuko (Squirrel) for her love of climbing, learns she’s to accompany imperious old Lady Chiyome’s palanquin. Risuko’s father was a samurai, a prestigious occupation in war-torn 16th-century Japan. After being disgraced, he had to find work as a scribe; he taught Risuko to read and write, but with him now dead, the family is near starving—and Risuko’s best option is to comply. The traveling party undergoes a cold and dangerous journey as it tries to dodge the fighting between rival warlords. Along the way, Risuko displays some of her abilities—not just climbing, but calligraphy, bird calls, and presence of mind when attacked. When they finally reach the Mochizuki compound, Risuko becomes a novice, believing that she’s being trained as a shrine attendant. There’s talk of initiates becoming kunoichi, which no one will explain: “you’ll just have to find out on your own.” At first, the novices perform only menial tasks, especially kitchen work, but they eventually receive lessons in music, singing, and dancing. But suspicion and intrigue (both political and romantic), plus attempted thievery and worse, tear apart the Mochizuki community, leading to a dramatic confrontation with the truth. Kudler (How Raven Brought Back the Light, 2014, etc.) draws on one of the most fascinating elements of Japan’s feudal period—the kunoichi, or female ninja. (Mochizuki Chiyome is a historical figure who trained young women as spies and assassins, using cover identities such as shrine attendants, servants, and prostitutes.) Also intriguing are the cultural details that Kudler weaves into his story, such as the Retreat, a small building where Mochizuki’s women stay during their periods. The characters are nicely varied and all the pieces fit into place deftly, such as how Risuko’s dance movements and kitchen skills can be used in fighting.
A tight, exciting, and thoughtful first volume in what promises to be a fine series about a female ninja.Pub Date: June 15, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-938808-32-6
Page Count: 230
Publisher: Stillpoint Digital Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 11, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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