What begins as a YA adventure becomes a stellar rumination on the individual's place in the world.
Goldstein, Neal WORLD SAVER
In this YA sci-fi debut, a teen visits his aunt's spiritual retreat to curb his video-gaming only to learn his favorite game is more real than he imagined. Eight-grader Cypris Orbick Jr. lives in Dayton, Ohio, and spends most of his time logged into the gaming website World Saver. His mother, Dolores, loathes the game, which involves the behind-the-scenes saving of warring alien civilizations. She hopes her son will grow up to be a true man, like his test pilot father, Cy Senior. He died during a crash in New Mexico, and his friend Trent Cosgrove has become his son's stepfather. When summer begins, Dolores puts Cy on a bus to his Aunt Skyler's home in Cloudcroft, New Mexico, where she teaches yoga. There, with no computers or wi-fi available, Cy will hopefully dry out from his obsession (he is World Saver's top-ranked player, after all). Cy, however, smuggles in his laptop and plans to investigate the clues that he saw in a World Saver bonus video. The video, featuring a gray man in a car somewhere on Route 30, hints at the placement of an glass orb hidden in the real world. If Cy can find the orb, World Saver Studios will hire him as a game designer. For his debut, author Goldstein covers terrain that fans of Ernest Cline's Ready Player One will appreciate. Though instead of relying on pop culture references, Goldstein captures our attention with a genuine flair for the madcap. He concocts the Space Ranch, a theme park centered around the alien realms of World Saver, and even a reclusive park founder, Bud Brownheel. After clues lead Cy into the desert, a UFO encounter propels the narrative into stranger skies. In the second half, Goldstein sends Cy on a steep arc toward maturity, where he makes life and death decisions not for himself, but for others. He also learns that “Art, like love, is dedication,” [201] as he meets a poet, a painter, and a mechanic (among others) whose works imbed them in the wider human experience.
What begins as a YA adventure becomes a stellar rumination on the individual's place in the world.Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-5229-9422-0
Page Count: 306
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Great for a middle- or high-school audience looking for some fun.
Comedy and suspense dominate this imaginative twist on the Dracula legend.
Harnissey, Dracula’s vampire nephew, and his companion, the ancient spider Morleaux, arrive at the old homestead for a visit when Dracula leaves for London. Harnissey, innocent, well-meaning and constantly bumbling, is attacked by the vampire sisters in residence, who intend to take over the castle while the Master is away. He and his intelligent spider sidekick eventually form an alliance with Dracula’s undead butler, a nicely drawn character always surrounded by a halo of buzzing flies, and a kingly, sinister cat, to do battle against a centuries-old vampire sorceress who’s arrived holding a grudge, along with her skeleton army. Bayne has a flair for droll comedy. His monstrous characters stand out clearly and distinctly as individuals, and the author’s clever focus on the other side of Bram Stoker’s novel helps fill out the story. The humorous undead protagonists, who are afraid of ghosts, add plenty of flavor to the story, as does the author’s incorporation of historical detail. The only flaw is Bayne’s tendency toward too-flippant dialogue, which is clearly designed to appeal to adolescents, but is inconsistent with the more sophisticated style used in the narration. Still, this is an entertaining romp that displays originality and inventiveness.
Great for a middle- or high-school audience looking for some fun. (Fiction. YA)Pub Date: Sept. 27, 2006
ISBN: 0-595-40242-9
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A fantasy romance novel that shows much promise as the kickoff to a series.
A princess must choose between her kingdom and her true love.
Princess Alera, heiress to the throne of Hytanica, has reached a crossroads in her life. She has agreed to marry to benefit her kingdom. But Alera is displeased with her father’s choice of suitor, the egocentric and arrogant Lord Steldor. Selected for his firm hand and military skill, Steldor can expect to wield much power over the inquisitive and spirited princess–Hytanic tradition favors the rule of males, so Alera must settle down and defer to her leading man. As preparations for marriage are made, the return of a long-lost child of Hytanica, Narian, from the rival Cokyri people sends shockwaves through the kingdom–and Alera’s heart. The Cokyri are renowned for their violent and bloodthirsty ways, and Narian is welcomed warily by the masses. Alera is quick to warm to him–he is mysterious and daring, fearless and capable. And Narian takes her seriously. Their clandestine relationship leads Alera to take dangerous risks, especially when the Cokyrians’ plans to reclaim Narian as their own come to light. The looming conflict jeopardizes their nascent love affair, as well as the whole of Hytanica. The princess finds herself not only pitted between two suitors but forced to decide between her royal obligations and her heart’s deepest desire. Debut novelist Kluver’s solid world-building skills flesh out this dynamic coming-of-age romance with strong detail and cultural development. Alera is fiery and likable and will find favor among young adult readers. Lively secondary characters, with the exception of a somewhat flat depiction of Steldor, and sharp dialogue, combined with richly imagined Hytanic legend and history, keep the pace of this epic moving until the last scene. However, the tale’s abrupt cliffhanger leaves both major story lines frustratingly stalled until the sequel.
A fantasy romance novel that shows much promise as the kickoff to a series.Pub Date: April 15, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-9802089-7-9
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Jan. 14, 2011
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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