Avoiding second-volume sag with plenty of charisma, this outing proves to be a satisfying read that takes the baton neatly...
Following the events of Hunter (2015), now that she’s become an Elite, Joy knows she’s in for more high-stakes danger and will be facing more dangerous Othersiders than before.
Backed by her pack of 11 Hounds, more than any other Hunter, she feels certain she’s ready for the job. However, it soon becomes clear that she and the rest of Apex City’s leaders and protectors—including the PsiCorps—are not as prepared for what is beyond the Barriers as they thought. Within them, rising political and power tensions between the Hunters and the PsiCorps make for additional issues. Then Joy, on special assignment, comes to discover dead Psimons in the city sewers she’s been tasked with patrolling. With each newly discovered body, Joy becomes more likely to take the fall for their deaths. When Ace, the Hunter who tried to murder Joy at her Elite trials, escapes and defects to the Othersiders, the city’s guardians realize that they may be unable to protect the city. Lackey efficiently brings readers up to speed, quickly laying out the rules of this multicultural post-apocalyptic future that blends technology and magic before plunging into this middle volume’s plot. Such details as a rare feast of pizza hammers home Joy’s reality.
Avoiding second-volume sag with plenty of charisma, this outing proves to be a satisfying read that takes the baton neatly from the first and leaves readers ready for more . (Science fiction/fantasy. 12 & up)Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4847-0785-2
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: June 27, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2016
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
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and...
A deliciously creepy page-turning gem from first-time writer and illustrator Brosgol finds brooding teenager Anya trying to escape the past—both her own and the ghost haunting her.
Anya feels out of place at her preppy private school; embarrassed by her Russian heritage, she has worked hard to lose her accent and to look more like everyone else. After a particularly frustrating morning at the bus stop, Anya storms off, only to accidentally fall down a well. Down in the dark hole, she meets Emily, a ghost who claims to be a murder victim trapped down in the dank abyss for 90 years. With Emily’s help, Anya manages to escape, though once free, she learns that Emily has traveled out with her. At first, Emily seems like the perfect friend; however, once her motives become clear, Anya learns that “perfect” may only be an illusion. A moodily atmospheric spectrum of grays washes over the clean, tidy panels, setting a distinct stage before the first words appear. Brosgol’s tight storytelling invokes the chilling feeling of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline (2002), though for a decidedly older set.
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and outward appearance. (Graphic supernatural fiction. 12 & up)Pub Date: June 7, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-59643-552-0
Page Count: 224
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: April 18, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2011
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