The real achievement of this adaptation is that readers will want to jump back to the novel and then leap back again, time...
Russell is a brave man. He was willing to cut the very first sentence of Gaiman’s Newbery-winning novel, even though it’s one of the most memorable lines in children’s literature: “There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife.”
By cutting out most of the descriptive text in this first of a two-part adaptation, Russell calls attention to the drama and wit of the language in each sentence. His graphic storytelling is faster-paced than the original book, but it’s always faithful, and a few readers may even prefer this version. Though he shares illustration duties with a team of graphic-novel luminaries—every artist gets a favorite monster or creature to draw—Russell’s fans will recognize his elegant, distinctive layouts even in the chapters he didn’t illustrate himself. The pictures also clarify one plot point. The original book was amusingly coy about whether a character named Silas was a vampire, but here he’s given the full Bela Lugosi treatment, and it’s beautiful. In Kevin Nowlan’s drawings, he has impossibly high cheekbones and a face like pale stone. One scene has even more impact than in the original: Ghosts join hands with the living and begin to dance, and readers see every dancer in the square.
The real achievement of this adaptation is that readers will want to jump back to the novel and then leap back again, time after time. (Graphic adaptation. 8-12)Pub Date: July 29, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-06-219481-7
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 30, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2014
Fierce, heartfelt, and determined.
An aspiring knight stands against the injustice at work in their own kingdom even as war with a vengeful witch looms on the horizon.
Twelve-year-old Callie longs to train in the royal capital of Helston, but the rigid laws of the realm forbid it. Only boys may pursue knighthood, and only girls may learn magic, but Callie isn’t either. When the lord chancellor demands that Callie’s father, the former king’s champion, return to Helston to train the crown prince for an upcoming tournament and the rising threat of war, Callie seizes the chance to go with him, determined to prove their worth. With the help of two unexpected new friends—the lord chancellor’s daughter and the crown prince—Callie rallies the courage to fight for change. Passing descriptions of background characters indicate diversity in the wider world; the central characters are White. Callie confronts transphobia and internalized shame. When well-meaning but flawed adults try to press for insubstantial change and unfair compromises, Callie and their friends refuse to give up or stop questioning the discrimination within their society. Gentle and affirming romance blossoms gradually throughout the story. A frank and vivid acknowledgement of menstruation stands out as an important moment of inclusion within the coming-of-age narrative. The resolution balances hope with the lingering suspense of lurking danger awaiting Callie in future adventures.
Fierce, heartfelt, and determined. (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: Nov. 8, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-48577-4
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Labyrinth Road
Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Effervescent, thrilling, and practically perfect in every way.
It’s hard living beneath the looming curse of becoming the Sleeping Beauty; even harder, in this middle-grade fairy-tale retelling, is being Sleeping Beauty’s sister.
Eleven-year-old Princess Briony loves her older sister, Rosalin. Honestly, she does; she’s just so tired of being ignored while beautiful, doomed Rosalin occupies everyone’s attention. Yet when Briony wakes up on her sister’s 16th birthday in a castle turret equipped with spinning wheel and fairy godmother, she discovers the price of being “important.” Cypess turns her talents for delicate prose and dark, twisty plotting to exploring the characters often left at the periphery. The castle servants, villagers, even fairies—wicked and helpful alike—have their own personalities and agendas. Briony is a delight: spunky, snarky, and brave enough to admit she’s scared. The other characters are equally compelling: Edwin, the clever “village dolt”; Varian, the princely hero, with secrets upon secrets; the terrifying fairy godmother; and the even more terrifying eponymous thicket of thorns, domain of the vicious fairy queen. The heart of the story, though, lies in the utterly authentic relationship between the sisters, who squabble, tease, and hurt each other—and love one another with a fierceness that absolutely demands a happily-ever-after, which this fairy tale delivers, although not one anybody ever expected. Characters read as White by default.
Effervescent, thrilling, and practically perfect in every way. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: April 6, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-17883-6
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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