A stormy beach read that is more soap than opera.
Terrible teen witches seek and sabotage safe haven in this spinoff’s spinoff.
Suspected of murdering two private school classmates, identical twins Molly and Mardi Overbrook grudgingly give up their glitzy Manhattan lives for a summer in Brigadoon-ian North Hampton, New York (setting for the Witches of East End series). Catalog-perfect Ingrid Beauchamp gives the goddesses (literally—Thor is their dad) a rustic reality call, forcing the girls to get jobs, limit their magic use, and babysit, but reform is slow in coming. Vapid, high-fashion Molly and antagonistic, retro-and-rebel Mardi enjoy playing pranks but engage in tiresome bickering and outrageous behavior to prove their (superficial) differences. Surprisingly ignorant of Norse mythology and their own family history, Molly and Mardi end up re-enacting a Wagnerian plot over a special ring and unusual romantic situations. The twins are unsympathetic characters for much of the book, and the impermanence of death lowers the stakes, but readers seeking tales of Gatsby-style excess, gourmet meals, hot bodies, and outrageous wardrobes can find a quick fix here. De la Cruz returns to the realm of teen lit but seems to keep some of her racier adult elements as she liberally—if sometimes unsuccessfully—mixes an epic story cycle and ancient legends with a summer beach romance, supernatural mystery, and teens-gone-wild tale.
A stormy beach read that is more soap than opera. (Paranormal romance. 14 & up)Pub Date: Nov. 10, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-399-17355-4
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2015
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
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations.
Magic, mystery, and love intertwine and invite in this newest take on the “enchanted circus” trope.
Sisters raised by their abusive father, a governor of a colonial backwater in a world vaguely reminiscent of the late 18th century, Scarlett and Donatella each long for something more. Scarlett, olive-skinned, dark of hair and attitude, longs for Caraval, the fabled, magical circus helmed by the possibly evil Master Legend Santos, while blonde, sunny Tella finds comfort in drink and the embraces of various men. A slightly awkward start, with inconsistencies of attitude and setting, rapidly smooths out when they, along with handsome “golden-brown” sailor Julian, flee to Caraval on the eve of Scarlett’s arranged marriage. Tella disappears, and Scarlett must navigate a nighttime world of magic to find her. Caraval delights the senses: beautiful and scary, described in luscious prose, this is a show readers will wish they could enter. Dresses can be purchased for secrets or days of life; clocks can become doors; bridges move: this is an inventive and original circus, laced with an edge of horror. A double love story, one sensual romance and the other sisterly loyalty, anchors the plot, but the real star here is Caraval and its secrets.
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations. (Fantasy. 14 & up)Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-250-09525-1
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
