by Orson Scott Card ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 10, 2019
A winning combination of wit, a twisted crime drama, and a fresh take on teens with powers
A teen with the micropower (much smaller than a superpower) of finding lost things is asked to help in a kidnapping investigation.
Long ostracized as a thief because no one believes him, freshman Ezekiel has tried to tamp down his ability to recognize lost items and compulsion to return them. His loner act is interrupted by Beth, an almost 14-year-old sophomore with proportionate dwarfism who wants to befriend him so that his isolation bubble can protect her from the bullying she faces. He's jerkish as a defense mechanism; she’s persistent; they’re both precocious intellectuals with snarky, dark humor—most importantly, she believes in and encourages his micropower. Also encouraging him is a desperate detective who wants Ezekiel’s help in a missing child case (though Ezekiel’s more accustomed to being accused and mistreated by police). The pacing of the multilayered mystery enables a buildup of dread leading to the revelation of how incredibly dark the crime story really is. The story’s psychological elements—both traumatic fallout and beautiful interpersonal relationships—are given breathing space in a satisfying denouement. Physical and racial descriptors are largely absent, creating a white default. The slur “Paki” is used without contextualization in reference to a Bangladeshi American character. Despite the infantilizing descriptive phrase “pitter patter of little feet,” Beth is portrayed as strong and capable.
A winning combination of wit, a twisted crime drama, and a fresh take on teens with powers (. (Thriller/science fiction. 15-adult)Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-9826-1341-9
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Blackstone
Review Posted Online: June 9, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2019
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More In The Series
by Lynette Noni ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 13, 2021
Readable but not remarkable, yet another grimdark political fantasy.
Prison life gets even more punishing in this fantasy series opener.
Seventeen-year-old Kiva Meridan is 10 years into a life sentence at “death prison” Zalindov. She’s succeeded her late father as the titular prison healer, dosing patients with herbs and possessing extensive, modern medical knowledge of bacteria, viruses, and immune systems. Aside from cheerful innocent/MacGuffin Tipp, Kiva befriends few fellow prisoners and even fewer guards, most of whom are harshly abusive. While Naari, a new female guard, and Jaren, a handsome new prisoner, chip away at her frozen facade, Kiva volunteers to undertake an epic Trial by Ordeal on behalf of the Rebel Queen, the newest political prisoner. Under pressure to save her friends, the Rebel Queen, and herself—and losing hope of rescue or release—Kiva faces four elemental magic Trials sans innate talent. In between grueling, gruesome spectacles, Kiva also acts as an epidemiologist, tracking down an illness plaguing the prisoners. The claustrophobic setting—evoking the horrors of a Siberian gulag or Nazi concentration camp—exudes dread and brutality; levity and lightness are minimal. A predictable romance ensues, and generic fantasy clichés abound—royals and rebels, lost heirs, vague magic—hastily concluded with a trite plot twist and setup for a sequel. Most main characters read as White; there is a diversity of skin tones in this fantasy world.
Readable but not remarkable, yet another grimdark political fantasy. (map) (Fantasy. 15-adult)Pub Date: April 13, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-358-43455-9
Page Count: 416
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 25, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2021
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More by Lynette Noni
BOOK REVIEW
by Lynette Noni
by Jenna Voris ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 28, 2023
An uneven tale of revenge, infamy, and thievery in space.
A pair of thieves turn vigilantes when an external force threatens their home planet of Nakara in this Bonnie and Clyde–inspired science fiction.
Eighteen-year-old Shane Mannix and 17-year-old Ava Castor are partners in crime. After Shane’s recent, traumatizing stint in a brutal space prison, they’re working together to exact revenge for Shane’s sake and, while doing so, become infamous as Ava has always dreamed. Meanwhile, on the other side of the law, earnest 18-year-old Cyrus Blake, a recent graduate of Opia’s Air Force Academy, hopes to carve a place for himself within the ranks of privileged classmates while trying to avoid being tempted by handsome Lark into breaking the rules until a devious plan from a rogue military leader to further oppress their homeworld sets Shane, Ava, and their crew on a collision course with Cyrus. Voris’ action-filled debut follows antiheroes Shane and Ava on their murderous, extremely violent space escapades against tyranny. Also central is Cyrus, whose yearnings for Lark and for doing the right thing clash with truths he unveils. A few odd chapters offer flashbacks of Shane and Ava’s first encounter but don’t add much to the overall tale, and while the setting has intriguing elements of political and social unrest, the world at large is underdeveloped. A bittersweet end promises more. Cyrus and Shane are assumed White; Ava is from a mixed fantasy race background.
An uneven tale of revenge, infamy, and thievery in space. (Science fiction. 15-18)Pub Date: March 28, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-52521-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
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