Evil in content but engaging in form.
Gape at the many misdeeds of notorious leaders throughout history.
Ropes stretch limbs beyond limits. Sharpened poles pierce bodies. Severed hands litter the ground. These vivid images introduce 16 of humanity’s “deadly hearts” through a sampling of the gruesome violence and torture they sanctioned. The usual suspects (e.g., Genghis Khan and Adolf Hitler) join those perhaps less well known to younger readers (e.g., Elizabeth Báthory and Idi Amin Dada) to create a truly disturbing timeline of genocide, military force, religious persecution, and more. Though individual chapters are brief, each delves deeply enough into its subject’s crimes to provide additional biographical context. Curiosity is a common thread, with Burgan questioning why these people were impelled to inflict such horrors. Whether motivated by power, wealth, or just plain enjoyment, these villains remind us of human nature’s “dark side”—and provide a lesson to readers against history repeating itself. The structure closely mirrors Jim Gigliotti’s companion, Dark Hearts (2021); both titles include black-and-white cartoon portraits from Mountford. Black headers with drips of blood adorn chapters, a visual link to the book’s incredibly high body count. Arranged chronologically by the subjects’ birth order, the collection spans from 356 B.C.E. to 2003. Europeans (and men) comprise the majority of profiles, but women, Asians, and Africans are also represented.
Evil in content but engaging in form. (bibliography) (Collective biography. 9-12)Pub Date: Dec. 27, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-38667-5
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A tighter focus would make this fascinating life story even more intriguing.
In this graphic memoir by sports journalist Shah, a ninth grader pursues his passion in the face of familial expectations pushing him toward a medical career, while also navigating the perils of high school social life.
It’s 1995, and Indian American Amar is desperate to meet the Chicago Bulls—Michael Jordan, in particular—when they stop by his Orlando, Florida, school. A lucky break leads him to his first sports interview, with Phil Jackson, and his tenacity takes him further, leading to multiple conversations with Shaquille O’Neal. But Amar’s luck in journalism doesn’t spill over to his relationship with his crush, blond Kasey Page (“like a mixture of Cameron Diaz, Tinkerbell, and heaven”), or his efforts to remain close with best friends Rohit and Cherian, who start spending more time with other classmates. The work relies on captions as much as plot developments to propel the story. It also follows a broad cast of characters—close and former friends, antagonists, supportive adults, and famous athletes—who appear in multiple storylines. The story accurately depicts the complexities of life as a young teen, though overlapping life challenges pull it in multiple directions, leaving some threads underexplored and hastily wrapped up. Doucet illustrates the characters using loose, disjointed outlines that give the artwork a sense of movement, and the colorful backgrounds use patterns and action lines to indicate a wide array of emotions.
A tighter focus would make this fascinating life story even more intriguing. (author’s note, photographs) (Graphic memoir. 9-12)Pub Date: Aug. 5, 2025
ISBN: 9781546110514
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Graphix/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 13, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A spirited biography untangles the accretion of myth and story around Pocahontas and makes clear what little is actually known and what fragments of the historical record are available. The text is rich in illustration and in sidebars (on longhouses, colonial diet, weaponry and so on) that illuminate the central narrative. Whether Pocahontas saved John Smith’s life directly or as part of an elaborate ritual might not matter, argues Jones. Pocahontas and her people were certainly responsible for keeping the English settlement of Jamestown from starvation. Relations between English settlers and Native people were uneasy at best, and the author traces these carefully, relating how Pocahontas was later kidnapped by the British and held for ransom. When none was forthcoming, she was converted both to English ways and the Christian religion, marrying the widower John Rolfe and traveling to England, where Pocahontas saw John Smith once again and died at about the age of 21. An excellent stab at myth busting and capturing the nuances of both the figure and her times. (glossary, bibliography, source notes, index) (Biography. 9-12)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4027-6844-6
Page Count: 124
Publisher: Sterling
Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2010
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