A vividly realized fantasy world centering strong girls and chosen family.
Girls battle for their families in this West African–inspired world.
Sixteen-year-old Sis Dirt used to compete in the girls’ martial art of Bowing. Their training builds up to the God Bow tournament, from which come new recruits who become sisters in a Fam. As an elder and the Second sister of the Mud Fam, which only has the bare minimum of five members, Dirt is tasked with coaching younger Bowers in hopes of boosting their Fam’s status and replenishing their ranks. If their numbers drop below five, Mud Fam will be disbanded. When she turns 17, each sister officially becomes a woman: She has her Scarring ceremony, travels to Antie Yaya’s compound, and leaves her Fam forever—and Dirt turns 17 shortly after the next tournament, making victory more crucial. Sis Webba, the First and their star Bower, has a chance of winning it all, but when another competitor injures her with an illegal move, the family’s hopes fall on Dirt, who is next in line but out of practice, out of shape, and lacking the confidence that she can save them. Mud Fam’s underdog status and Dirt’s journey are easy to root for. The immersive worldbuilding paints a picture of a community with a compelling social structure and lore, populated by Black girls who glory in their strength and large size. The fluid dialogue is written in an expressive pidgin.
A vividly realized fantasy world centering strong girls and chosen family. (map) (Fantasy. 12-18)Pub Date: Feb. 7, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-66591-813-8
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: Nov. 28, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and...
A deliciously creepy page-turning gem from first-time writer and illustrator Brosgol finds brooding teenager Anya trying to escape the past—both her own and the ghost haunting her.
Anya feels out of place at her preppy private school; embarrassed by her Russian heritage, she has worked hard to lose her accent and to look more like everyone else. After a particularly frustrating morning at the bus stop, Anya storms off, only to accidentally fall down a well. Down in the dark hole, she meets Emily, a ghost who claims to be a murder victim trapped down in the dank abyss for 90 years. With Emily’s help, Anya manages to escape, though once free, she learns that Emily has traveled out with her. At first, Emily seems like the perfect friend; however, once her motives become clear, Anya learns that “perfect” may only be an illusion. A moodily atmospheric spectrum of grays washes over the clean, tidy panels, setting a distinct stage before the first words appear. Brosgol’s tight storytelling invokes the chilling feeling of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline (2002), though for a decidedly older set.
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and outward appearance. (Graphic supernatural fiction. 12 & up)Pub Date: June 7, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-59643-552-0
Page Count: 224
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: April 18, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2011
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