An imaginative fantasy-horror tale anchored by a relatable teen hero, engaging despite a surfeit of adolescent angst.
Pursued by demons, a teenage girl must confront darkness and a terrible destiny in Levi’s YA fantasy novel.
In Washington State,17-year-old Scarlet Singer is haunted by nightmarish shadows and a feeling of wrongness. Her bad dreams come true when her home is invaded by a monster in the guise of a man. Her mother sacrifices herself to give her daughter time to escape, and a teenage telepath named Marcus Castillo is drawn to Scarlet, sensing her distress. His grandmother, a witch named Kara, accompanies him and slaughters the demonic killer with magic, and Scarlet’s perception of reality is forever changed (“I know magic isn’t real, and demons are like fairytales designed to scare children. Except, I am now swayed to the argument that demons are real, and magic seems to exist despite my reservations”). Packed with demons, humans reduced to “meat suits,” blood-letting and blood-drinking, witches, telepathy, time-shifting, and supernatural realms reachable through magic portals, the novel is never dull. The abundance of fantasy and horror tropes could have been overkill, but the author weaves them into a neat twist on the concepts of the fountain of youth and reincarnation. The catalyst is the 19th-century journal of a young woman named Kelby, which causes Scarlet, sheltered by a powerful Witches Council, to begin to wonder who—and what—she is, leaving her with a secret she can’t share, hunted by demons and ostensible friends alike. Throughout, Scarlet’s closeness to Witches Council members Marcus and the handsome Zig complicates things. Scarlet cares for besotted Marcus but resents his protectiveness and ability to read her thoughts. She is attracted to Zig but put off by his and Marcus’ jealous competitiveness over her. (In the face of horrific occurrences and constant danger, this prolonged, adolescent dynamic among the three grows a bit tiresome.) The author effectively keeps the plot moving forward by shifting narratives between Scarlet, Marcus, Zig, Kelby’s journal, an enigmatic witch named Azeltha, Scarlet’s demonic nemesis, Dagon, and a few minor but essential characters. The shocker of a cliffhanger at the end signals a sequel to come.
An imaginative fantasy-horror tale anchored by a relatable teen hero, engaging despite a surfeit of adolescent angst.Pub Date: March 9, 2023
ISBN: 9798376885062
Page Count: 425
Publisher: Independently Published
Review Posted Online: March 24, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.
The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.
Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798987380406
Page Count: 538
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
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