Two people emerge from their personal cocoons in this Australian import. Until he meets Tom Leyton, Joseph is a shy 14-year-old who hardly speaks to anyone. Sketching Tom for a school project, Joseph soon learns the tortured past of the reclusive Vietnam veteran who raises silkworms in his sister’s home. As the summer progresses, the two unlikely companions share their dark secrets, and Joseph gains the courage to confront the mysterious figure he sees chasing him both on the street and in his dreams. Joseph’s musings are occasionally too sophisticated for his chronological age, but such maturity appears authentic for his introverted personality. Instead of creating a static boogeyman, Bauer’s deft depiction of the Running Man moves him beyond spooky into a sympathetic light. A heavily moralizing subplot, built around Joseph’s guilt after a fight with his father, is unnecessary and adds a false and harsh note to the exploration of interpersonal relationships. Thankfully, the metamorphosis theme flows smoothly, enabling younger teen artists and scientists to enjoy both silkworm and character maturation. (Fiction. YA)
Pub Date: July 1, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-06-145508-7
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2008
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Unflinching, bloodstained magic.
In this dark fantasy woven together from reimagined fairy tales, a werebear princess and her cruel twin brother vie for inheritance of their father’s crown.
Once upon a time, a story unfolds after a farmer lies to a king, saying that his daughter can spin grass into gold. In this kingdom, the first-born—always a boy—inherits. But when the common-born queen gives birth to twins, first a werebear girl, then a human boy, no one can agree who has the right of succession. Princess Ursula believes in her claim to the throne: Under her benevolent rule, she’d overturn unjust laws that oppress other werefolk. Full of contempt for his sister, Albrecht, the vicious, vain prince, plots his own ascent, no matter the cost. With precise, and poetic prose, Brockenbrough twists and intertwines familiar tales—“Hansel and Gretel,” “Little Red Riding Hood,” “Rumpelstiltskin,” and “Goldilocks,” among others—to craft an intricate, cohesive narrative framed as a story within a story. Ursula and Albrecht are White; the ensemble cast of primary characters includes two brown-skinned women, one of whom has a fraught emotional relationship with the princess. Injustice, misinformation, and consent are significant themes. While at times the depictions of violence (including sexual assault) are visceral and brutal, this stand-alone journey into grim woodlands arrives at a subversive resolution more satisfying than a traditional happily-ever-after.
Unflinching, bloodstained magic. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-338-67387-6
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2021
A propulsive, unpredictable, and troubling thriller.
In an insular Ohio town, a young woman struggles with family trauma and experiences hallucinations that she keeps secret.
Sixteen-year-old Neely, like her dad and older brother, Lance, who is now dead by suicide, can hear voices. Neely’s mother died in a car accident many years ago, and later her dad left, leaving Neely living with her touchingly supportive but somewhat repressed grandparents. A longtime fan of the large cave system that’s a tourist attraction in her town, Neely snags a job working there for the summer. Neely, who’s gay but not out to many people, quickly falls for beautiful, smart Mila, who runs tours of the caves. When a shockingly horrific death occurs in one of the caves after Neely tries weed for the first time at an employee after-party and experiences what seems like a psychotic break, she fears she may be responsible. This gritty and sometimes gruesome thriller thrums with gripping menace, especially as Neely’s brother’s only friend, Brian, alleges that Lance was sharing incel-like posts on an anonymous internet site. Neely’s frank, self-deprecating inner monologue is often bitingly funny, providing balance to the grim subject matter. Though they’re portrayed with nuance, Neely’s hallucinations sometimes seem to move with the plotting, which, given the unpredictable nature of serious mental illness, can make this element feel too convenient. All the main characters read as white.
A propulsive, unpredictable, and troubling thriller. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: March 19, 2024
ISBN: 9780063230415
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Dec. 16, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2024
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