Vivid and mythical.
Prophetic dreams and the power of a stolen crown bring together two girls from different worlds to save a land on the brink of destruction.
Eleven-year-old White girl Juniper Harvey recently moved from Dallas to a small town in Florida. She fills her sketchbook with drawings of bugs and detailed recollections from her recurring nightmares, especially the striking face of a brown-skinned, burnt umber–haired, stormy-eyed girl whose body transforms into an ivory statue. When the magic of a wish and an ancient crown that belongs to the goddess of dreams transport Princess Galatea of the floating Isle of Kypros into June’s bedroom, neither girl understands how or why they are connected. However, for the last 12 years, Princess Galatea’s home has been slowly vanishing, and she needs the help of June and June’s new school friends to save it before it’s too late. This bright start to a Greek mythology–inspired fantasy series blazes with intense, vibrant imagery and crackles with lively, humorous character dynamics. Galatea’s forthright personality combined with her complete ignorance about June’s modern-day life result in entertaining antics. These moments of levity balance the suspenseful drama of a world facing impending peril and the sensitive exploration of June’s sexuality, anxiety, and loneliness. The worldbuilding happens seamlessly through dialogue and as part of the unfolding conflict. Secondary and background characters reflect diversity in the world around June. The cliffhanger ending begs for more adventures.
Vivid and mythical. (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: Feb. 14, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-316-70678-0
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
A captivating adventure about the strength of love and family.
A Nigerian city girl visits her estranged grandmother in a remote village and is confronted with family secrets.
Thirteen-year-old Simi has only known Lagos—until her mother needs to go to London for work. Her parents are divorced, and Simi can’t stay with her perpetually busy father, so she is reluctantly shipped off to spend her summer vacation with her maternal grandmother in Ajao, a remote village with no modern technology. Soon after her exhausting journey by bus and taxi, Simi goes for a walk and is drawn to go the wrong way—into the forest and toward a forbidden lake, where she is briefly transported to a different world, something she at first believes is a dream. Although her staunchly Christian mother does not want her exposed to the Yoruba gods and goddesses her grandmother follows, Simi later learns a story that is connected to her family about Oshun, the river and water goddess. As more children are lured toward the lake, Simi feels compelled to come forward and risk everything to heal the wounds in her family and help the village that has come to feel like home. Traoré’s debut is brimming with earnest, admiring details about Yoruba culture and traditions that are woven into the worldbuilding. As Simi’s fast-paced adventure unfolds, readers will be swept away by the limited omniscient narration in this plot-driven story with a strong sense of place.
A captivating adventure about the strength of love and family. (author's note, glossary) (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: July 26, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-338-78192-2
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Chicken House/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: April 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2022
A tremendous return.
Several months have passed since the events of The Rise of the Jumbies (2017), when Corinne La Mer faced her mother’s sister, Severine, and the mighty Mama D’Leau, the jumbies of forest and sea.
Corinne anxiously awaits her father’s yellow fishing boat every day, scanning the sea for trouble, afraid that Severine will come back for revenge. Her friends encourage her to keep her mind on land rather than the waters. One day, an out-of-season hurricane suddenly turns the island upside down. As the hurricane rips the island apart, the villagers take to the mountains for shelter. There, Corinne finds Papa Bois, guardian jumbie of the forest. He tells her the storm is the work of the jumbie god, Huracan. Even though she’s half jumbie herself, Corinne isn’t sure how to stop the mighty god from destroying the island. What could cause such fury? With the help of her friends, human and jumbie, Corinne sets out to fix things once and for all and to face Huracan himself. With this strong return to the Jumbies series, Baptiste engages all the senses, from the taste of sweet oranges to the scent of salty air. Corinne strengthens her relationships with the island, the people, and all the creatures within. Her determination, compassion, and bravery will inspire readers to face down any challenges crossing their paths. Baptiste carefully represents Caribbean diversity; most characters are Afro Caribbean like Corinne, but friend Dru’s heritage is South Asian.
A tremendous return. (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-61620-891-2
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Algonquin
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2019
PERSPECTIVES
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