Though a few plot twists strain credulity, at its best this is a taut, suspenseful page-turner in which severed body parts,...
On Whidbey Island, Washington, the Gray teens—tall, blond, white quintuplets—and one smart bloodhound specialize in search and rescue (missing toddlers, lost pets); this time, their neighbor and friend Grant Shepherd, 10, has disappeared, and complications ensue.
Money is tight for the quints and their single mom, year-round residents. Useless Bay is a weekend getaway for the wealthy, white Shepherds: Henry, Meredith, and their half brother, Grant, who live with their venture-capitalist dad, long divorced and remarried to Grant’s Russian mom. Henry Shepherd and Pixie Gray, who share a mutual attraction, narrate in alternating chapters. The youngest, shortest (at 6 feet 2 inches), and lone girl quint, Pixie’s long been haunted by the phantasm of the unsavory man, later murdered, who trained their bloodhound. This terrifying apparition (think Davy Jones of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise) heralds catastrophe. The desperate hunt coincides with stormy weather that worsens as the body count rises. Macabre descriptions abound; the Pacific Northwest’s majestic land- and seascapes are limned with occasionally startling digestive and elimination imagery: ferries and ocean tides vomit up their contents; Deception Pass’ swirling waters are compared to toilet-bowl cleaner.
Though a few plot twists strain credulity, at its best this is a taut, suspenseful page-turner in which severed body parts, human and canine, fantastic and real, figure prominently—call it magical realism, horror division. (Magical realism/thriller. 13-18)Pub Date: Oct. 18, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4197-2138-0
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
A worthy follow-up to a stellar debut.
A Black teenage witch deals with the fallout of past choices while trying to prevent future destruction.
Voya is facing the aftermath of the tough choices she made in Blood Like Magic (2021) in order to pass her Calling and acquire magical powers. Having received two gifts, Voya is now the youngest Matriarch ever to be crowned in her family. She finds that she has much to do to earn the respect of those around her—and possibly even those who came before her, since her ancestors have not answered any of her calls for guidance. The recent death of her grandmother—her family’s previous Matriarch—has caused new intrafamilial strain and enhanced existing stressors. Not only that, but Justin Tremblay, renowned tech magnate and sponsor father of Luc, Voya’s first love, is presumed dead, and Luc thinks Voya is responsible. As if her plate weren’t full enough, Voya experiences a vision that shows her the potential annihilation of her family and the wider Black witch community in Toronto. Now, to try and prevent the devastating future she foresaw, she has to work to overcome her insecurities as a Matriarch and convince the elders who also lack faith in her to unite. Thanks to Sambury’s fluid writing style and well-established storyline and characters, readers will easily be able to follow Voya and other supporting characters as their lives and challenges become more complicated.
A worthy follow-up to a stellar debut. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Aug. 9, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5344-6531-2
Page Count: 480
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2022
This duology closer delves deeper into mythology while depicting textured, realistic relationships.
Briseis goes on an even riskier journey with more menacing enemies in the sequel to This Poison Heart (2021).
Sixteen-year-old Briseis Greene’s story continues as she is tasked with reuniting all the pieces of the Absyrtus Heart in order to save Thandie, one of her adoptive moms, who is being held by Hecate in the underworld. Bri finds out that Circe (the biological aunt whose existence she only recently learned of following her supposed death) is actually alive and has been searching for the pieces of the Heart as well. This revelation marks just the beginning of the discoveries and twists that Bri has to deal with: The history of her biological family and their connections to mythological gods go deeper than she realized, and the adversaries she has to face are even more dangerous than everything she’s experienced thus far. But saving her mom is paramount, and Bri is willing to do anything and face anyone in order to do so. Readers who were hooked after reading the previous book with its cliffhanger ending will be pleased to follow more of Bri’s story. Bayron highlights themes of sisterhood, familial bonds, and intergenerational trauma in this novel centering Black characters. Bri’s story showcases how love can help give one the strength and courage needed to confront fears and weather uncomfortable truths.
This duology closer delves deeper into mythology while depicting textured, realistic relationships. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: June 21, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0920-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: April 12, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2022
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