A profound story of loved ones sticking together in the face of tragedy and hardship.
In McGaffin’s YA novel, a family of crows fights to survive New York City’s deadly West Nile virus outbreak in 1999.
Duncan and his younger sisters, Cloud and Sky, help forage for food to feed their family’s three nestlings. It won’t be long before the siblings search for mates and strike out on their own, but the sudden appearance of an illness that the birds call the “blind death” changes everything (“those who get it don’t survive”), killing their parents in a matter of days. Around the same time, their nest’s location becomes compromised, putting the family in peril and forcing Duncan, Cloud, and Sky to coax the little ones out of their tiny home. As the fledglings learn to fly, the older siblings face numerous other obstacles, from the loss of their territory in the Bronx Zoo to anxiety over the possibility that the blind death has infected one of them; just ensuring that the family stays together is hard enough. Meanwhile, the humans realize that whatever has been killing birds may be the same thing making certain New Yorkers sick, some lethally so. McGaffin’s tale showcases a dynamic, mostly avian cast. The constantly brooding Duncan seems to appreciate Sky’s “no-nonsense” approach to foraging, which is in stark contrast to Cloud’s blitheness; readers will surely find the dynamic delightful. The point of view alternates among Duncan, Cloud, and Worm, the runt of the fledglings. The story spotlights a couple of engaging humans as well, including teenage Maddy, who regularly feeds grateful crows, and Dr. Annie Byrne, the zoo’s veterinary pathologist. The author deftly weaves educational bits throughout the text; McGaffin describes how the older siblings feed the little ones and how the crows give gifts (like a chewed pen cap) to Maddy for feeding them. These touches enrich the narrative without dampening the genuinely dramatic turns as Duncan’s family suffers losses and enjoys unexpectedly upbeat moments.
A profound story of loved ones sticking together in the face of tragedy and hardship.Pub Date: May 26, 2026
ISBN: 9798896363125
Page Count: 256
Publisher: She Writes Press
Review Posted Online: Dec. 18, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
