A thoroughly enjoyable arrangement of short fiction at once eerie, absurd, and thought-provoking.
More than three dozen tales—several of them previously unpublished—make up this varied short story collection of fantastical speculative fiction.
From playful entries involving a malevolent Christmas tree or a hot tub–dwelling monster to more disturbing vignettes, such as one in which a boy, neglected by his VR-gaming–obsessed parents, is led to violence, these stories shift easily between goofiness and real terror. Grouped into seven sections that provide a loose thematic structure, some of the stories are short, punchy, and sweet, and others are expansive, immersive, and prickly with atmosphere. They’re unified by their overwhelming sense of the uncanny; they explore interesting philosophical and ethical questions but never take themselves too seriously. Most of the stories have appeared in other anthologies; a few are co-written, one with Terry Black and three with the author’s son Brendan Shusterman. The entries are distinctive and original, but the sheer length of this collection may make it better for dipping into than for a through-read. Two new stories set in the world of the Arc of a Scythe close out the book and are not to be missed by fans of that series. The final one is a witty and fascinating meta-interview that imagines its characters—including the artificial intelligence entity the Thunderhead—answering questions from a reporter and in turn putting questions to Shusterman himself. There’s some ethnic diversity among the characters.
A thoroughly enjoyable arrangement of short fiction at once eerie, absurd, and thought-provoking. (Short stories. 13-18)Pub Date: Nov. 18, 2025
ISBN: 9781665990783
Page Count: 592
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2025
Both entertaining and well-written; demands and holds readers’ attention.
A duology opener that revisits the world of Divergent (2011).
Beatrice “Tris” Prior is Divergent. But before she can select Dauntless, her Choosing Ceremony is interrupted by a group of factionless rebels, and her good friend is killed. Amid the chaos, Tris sees Evelyn, the wife of Abnegation leader Marcus Eaton—but Evelyn supposedly died years ago. And, shockingly, she’s an Amity woman who’s holding a gun. Tris doesn’t tell anyone, even her father, when he later questions her. Her brother, Caleb, chooses Erudite—the faction that’s most critical toward the Abnegation and their practices—and Tris feels pressured to stay in Abnegation. But when her father tries to erase her memories, she knows she’s unsafe. Tris’ mother helps her escape to the factionless, where Tris meets Four, a Dauntless boy. Their relationship shows her that she was right to leave Abnegation—and that maybe the rebels are correct to want the death of the faction system. As Tris becomes friends with the other “faction failures,” she realizes that no faction is as it seems, and that power is a corrupting influence they can’t escape. This exciting work revisits beloved characters, offering a new understanding of them and of what happens when we stand up and ask questions. Returning fans and those new to this world will appreciate the witty banter, slow-burn romance, and heartache stemming from betrayal and complicated familial love. The leads are cued white.
Both entertaining and well-written; demands and holds readers’ attention. (Dystopian. 13-18)Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2026
ISBN: 9780063462595
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2026
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in.
Black is back with another dark tale of Faerie, this one set in Faerie and launching a new trilogy.
Jude—broken, rebuilt, fueled by anger and a sense of powerlessness—has never recovered from watching her adoptive Faerie father murder her parents. Human Jude (whose brown hair curls and whose skin color is never described) both hates and loves Madoc, whose murderous nature is true to his Faerie self and who in his way loves her. Brought up among the Gentry, Jude has never felt at ease, but after a decade, Faerie has become her home despite the constant peril. Black’s latest looks at nature and nurture and spins a tale of court intrigue, bloodshed, and a truly messed-up relationship that might be the saving of Jude and the titular prince, who, like Jude, has been shaped by the cruelties of others. Fierce and observant Jude is utterly unaware of the currents that swirl around her. She fights, plots, even murders enemies, but she must also navigate her relationship with her complex family (human, Faerie, and mixed). This is a heady blend of Faerie lore, high fantasy, and high school drama, dripping with description that brings the dangerous but tempting world of Faerie to life.
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in. (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-316-31027-7
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Sept. 25, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2017
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