An imaginative, funny, and of-the-moment race to save the world.
Precious gems, resourceful teenagers, and a deadline to save the world: What could possibly go wrong?
Reed de Vries is finishing up his junior year of high school, and things are going well. He’s the president of his school’s Gay Straight Alliance and is thinking about running for student council. As for his best friend, Arno Sarkisian—well, the two boys may be becoming more than friends. All Reed’s plans are thrown into disarray, however, when he discovers a ruby on the beach of his Jersey Shore hometown. Suddenly, his school’s mysterious, handsome, and very British college counselor presents him with a life-or-death mission, and he’s on a quest to unite the Five Stone Bearers, who will need to work together to save the world. The journey includes ample twists and turns, and Barakiva adds interest by alternating perspectives among various characters and switching between the first and third person. The story is further deepened by glimpses of a previous, parallel quest that unfolds in Mughal-era India. The voices of the point-of-view characters are easily distinguishable and emphasize their individual experiences. Reed’s identity as a gay white musician clearly shapes his worldview and language, as does Arno’s as a gay Armenian Christian. Although the sheer density of ideas at play works against graceful execution, the book is relevant, vibrant, and inviting.
An imaginative, funny, and of-the-moment race to save the world. (author’s note) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: May 21, 2024
ISBN: 9780374314408
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in.
Black is back with another dark tale of Faerie, this one set in Faerie and launching a new trilogy.
Jude—broken, rebuilt, fueled by anger and a sense of powerlessness—has never recovered from watching her adoptive Faerie father murder her parents. Human Jude (whose brown hair curls and whose skin color is never described) both hates and loves Madoc, whose murderous nature is true to his Faerie self and who in his way loves her. Brought up among the Gentry, Jude has never felt at ease, but after a decade, Faerie has become her home despite the constant peril. Black’s latest looks at nature and nurture and spins a tale of court intrigue, bloodshed, and a truly messed-up relationship that might be the saving of Jude and the titular prince, who, like Jude, has been shaped by the cruelties of others. Fierce and observant Jude is utterly unaware of the currents that swirl around her. She fights, plots, even murders enemies, but she must also navigate her relationship with her complex family (human, Faerie, and mixed). This is a heady blend of Faerie lore, high fantasy, and high school drama, dripping with description that brings the dangerous but tempting world of Faerie to life.
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in. (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-316-31027-7
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Sept. 25, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2017
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
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