This hard-to-put-down novel takes on grim topics unflinchingly but also gives readers hope that honesty and kindness will...
To her confusion, 17-year-old Victoria is ripped from her father and stepmother’s home in Reno by Child Protective Services in the middle of the night.
Placed in foster care, she must focus on completing high school and applying for college while wrestling with whether to share the truth of what happened that night with anyone. It’s clear from early on that Victoria’s father accused her of making sexual advances on him, but what is not clear and helps create suspense is why her father now wants her out of his life and whether Victoria will come to terms with the psychological damage from her abuse that initially leads her into denial. At first Victoria tries to keep her foster care status a secret at school, but circumstances make this increasingly difficult. She then starts to consider the danger her 14-year-old stepsister might still be in. Debut novelist Barthelmess has written multifaceted characters that are believable, particularly Victoria, her strict foster mother, and her troubled foster sister, Jamie. Slightly less believable, because they are unfailingly kind, understanding, and wise, are Victoria’s new friend Latinx Christina (the sole character of color) and her love interest, a boy named Kale. Victoria’s first-person voice is strong and appealing, and her story is a positive addition to the sparse YA literature on foster care.
This hard-to-put-down novel takes on grim topics unflinchingly but also gives readers hope that honesty and kindness will prevail. (resources) (Fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: March 5, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-63583-028-6
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Flux
Review Posted Online: Dec. 8, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations.
Magic, mystery, and love intertwine and invite in this newest take on the “enchanted circus” trope.
Sisters raised by their abusive father, a governor of a colonial backwater in a world vaguely reminiscent of the late 18th century, Scarlett and Donatella each long for something more. Scarlett, olive-skinned, dark of hair and attitude, longs for Caraval, the fabled, magical circus helmed by the possibly evil Master Legend Santos, while blonde, sunny Tella finds comfort in drink and the embraces of various men. A slightly awkward start, with inconsistencies of attitude and setting, rapidly smooths out when they, along with handsome “golden-brown” sailor Julian, flee to Caraval on the eve of Scarlett’s arranged marriage. Tella disappears, and Scarlett must navigate a nighttime world of magic to find her. Caraval delights the senses: beautiful and scary, described in luscious prose, this is a show readers will wish they could enter. Dresses can be purchased for secrets or days of life; clocks can become doors; bridges move: this is an inventive and original circus, laced with an edge of horror. A double love story, one sensual romance and the other sisterly loyalty, anchors the plot, but the real star here is Caraval and its secrets.
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations. (Fantasy. 14 & up)Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-250-09525-1
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Summery fun and games with feeling.
A summer trip helps break 18-year-old Meredith Fox out of a haze of mourning.
Her cousin’s wedding means a return to Martha’s Vineyard, a well-loved destination but one filled with bittersweet memories. It’s been a year and a half since the sudden loss of Meredith’s sister, Claire, and the grief remains strong. Meredith, though, resolves to take this time to celebrate family and bridge the rifts resulting from ghosting friends. She didn’t plan on a meet-cute/embarrassing encounter with the groom’s stepbrother, Wit. Nor did she expect a wedding-week game of Assassin, a water-gun–fueled family tradition. What starts off as a pact of sharing strategic information with Wit grows into something more as the flirting and feelings develop. Only one person can win, though, and any alliance has an expiration date. To win and honor Claire, who was a master of the game, Meredith must keep her eye on the prize. Taking place over the course of a week, the narrative is tight with well-paced reveals that disrupt predictability and keep the plot moving. Early details are picked back up, and many elements come satisfyingly full circle. The short time frame also heightens the tension of this summer romance: What will happen when they leave the bubble of the Vineyard? The mix of budding romance, competitive hijinks, a close-knit circle, as well as dealing with loss make for a satisfying read. The main cast is White.
Summery fun and games with feeling. (family tree) (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-72821-029-2
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: March 30, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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