A tightly plotted thriller with scary what-if implications.
Shortly after the events of the first book, Catfishing on CatNet (2019), Steph and AI CheshireCat uncover a dangerous social media plot.
Steph’s father is now behind bars; Steph and her mother are no longer living on the run and have settled in a not-too-distant future Minneapolis marked by positive social changes brought on by the protests of 2020. At her new school, she befriends Nell, a fellow new student who, after her mother’s disappearance, has been sent away from her fundamentalist, end-times–predicting cult to live with her father in his polyamorous household. Her father’s second wife and their respective girlfriends are positively portrayed while Nell, who joins Steph and CheshireCat as a narrator, grapples with the attitudes and biases she’s been taught. A fellow student recruits Steph and Nell into an app-based game that assigns personalized tasks; Nell recognizes its interface as being similar to one used by her religious sect. While attempting to rescue Nell’s girlfriend, who has gone missing, Nell and Steph piece together a plot concerning someone who is manipulating social media apps and games in order to incite real-life violence. The who and why greatly raise the stakes. The storyline raises chilling questions about online manipulation, surveillance, and free will. Although the main human characters are White, the racial, gender, and sexuality diversity of Minneapolis is shown through numerous named side characters.
A tightly plotted thriller with scary what-if implications. (author’s note) (Thriller. 13-adult)Pub Date: April 27, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-16522-0
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Tor Teen
Review Posted Online: Feb. 4, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet if muddled tale of the magic of Appalachia.
A teenage witch goes up against the evil king of the mountain to save a cursed village.
Witch-in-training Verity Vox has spent a year apiece in different villages, helping in any way she can as she learns her art. When it’s time to move on, she receives a sign that shows her where to go next. When the latest sign appears in the form of a note begging for help that floats down on a leaf, she’s eager for the challenge. Verity winds up in Foxfire, a village in the Appalachian mountains that’s been magically cut off from the rest of the world for years, leaving its people close to starvation. The root of their suffering is a man they know as Earl, who lives in the hills and strikes deals with the townspeople that ultimately cause crops to wither, folks to disappear, and the only bridge out of the valley to crumble. Verity is determined to change the villagers’ fortunes, but to do so she’ll have to face off against not just Earl but the ancient power of the mountains itself. Loosely based on the Germanic Erlking legend and told in a voice reminiscent of folktales, the story features a queer romance and a cast that presents white. The convoluted magic system undercuts the strong themes of reciprocity, poverty, and privilege, but Appalachian readers will instantly recognize home.
A sweet if muddled tale of the magic of Appalachia. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Aug. 5, 2025
ISBN: 9798890032706
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Page Street
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
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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