An unbalanced dual narrative.
Author Haber (The Somali Pirate, 2009, etc.) presents a political thriller and war fantasy–cum–sci-fi dreamscape that follows the adventures of modern-day Somali pirate Noor Fayrus.
Navigating the waters near the Horn of Africa, Noor Fayrus leads the Dagger Dogs of Zayid in an operation to take back the capital city of Mogadishu, which is overrun by warlords, Islamic radicals and Western-backed militias. The goal is to establish a modern state based on piracy that will avenge the wrongs committed against the Somali people. How else can the Zayid (also known as “the Organization”) exact retribution against those who’ve overfished Somali waters, dumped nuclear and toxic waste on its shorelines, and meddled in their governmental affairs? But will the Zayid stop at Somalia’s borders or use its arsenal of nuclear warheads, high-tech weaponry and new piracy methods to extend its far-reaching tentacles? And what role will Noor play as the truth emerges about his supernatural condition? When Noor and his sister Amina learn they are suffering from radiation poisoning and have to take an experimental serum (“antibaayootig”), Noor reveals his stigmata and star-shaped chest tattoo, which become bioluminescent after he absorbs too much serum. Later, after surviving a brush with lightning during a helicopter crash, Noor’s electromagnetic energy field changes, and he discovers that the excess serum brings forth supernatural powers, including the ability to hurl lightning at his enemies. But will Noor use his supernatural powers for good purposes or seek to extend the White Star Empire? These complex plot points serve to hook the reader by the novel’s midpoint, and indeed, the first half of the tale functions well both as a stand-alone novel and final installment in the trilogy, offering insights about Somali culture, unconventional justifications for Somali piracy and just the right touch of fantasy. However, the second half falters when it transmogrifies into a grotesque sci-fi nightmare three centuries into the future, complete with robots, zombies and flying cars. Cryogenically frozen, characters awaken 324 years later as batlike zombies or modified robots, and Mogadishu is the most successful city in the world. Huh? More than 100 images are included to help tell the story, but by the end, little could help this story that has lost its way. Ultimately, the author tells two stories: the first, a meaty and realistic picture of war and piracy on the east African coast, the second, a strange mix of science fiction that lurches so abruptly from the early story it may cause whiplash.
An unbalanced dual narrative.Pub Date: Sept. 11, 2012
ISBN: 978-0615669489
Page Count: 634
Publisher: PhantaSea Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 26, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.
A fifth-grade New Orleans girl discovers a mysterious chrysalis containing an unexpected creature in this middle-grade novel.
Jacquelyn Marie Johnson, called Jackie, is a 10-year-old African-American girl, the second oldest and the only girl of six siblings. She’s responsible, smart, and enjoys being in charge; she likes “paper dolls and long division and imagining things she had never seen.” Normally, Jackie has no trouble obeying her strict but loving parents. But when her potted snapdragon acquires a peculiar egg or maybe a chrysalis (she dubs it a chrysalegg), Jackie’s strong desire to protect it runs up against her mother’s rule against plants in the house. Jackie doesn’t exactly mean to lie, but she tells her mother she needs to keep the snapdragon in her room for a science project and gets permission. Jackie draws the chrysalegg daily, waiting for something to happen as it gets larger. When the amazing creature inside breaks free, Jackie is more determined than ever to protect it, but this leads her further into secrets and lies. The results when her parents find out are painful, and resolving the problem will take courage, honesty, and trust. Dumas (Jaden Toussaint, the Greatest: Episode 5, 2017, etc.) presents a very likable character in Jackie. At 10, she’s young enough to enjoy playing with paper dolls but has a maturity that even older kids can lack. She’s resourceful, as when she wants to measure a red spot on the chrysalegg; lacking calipers, she fashions one from her hairpin. Jackie’s inward struggle about what to obey—her dearest wishes or the parents she loves—is one many readers will understand. The book complicates this question by making Jackie’s parents, especially her mother, strict (as one might expect to keep order in a large family) but undeniably loving and protective as well—it’s not just a question of outwitting clueless adults. Jackie’s feelings about the creature (tender and responsible but also more than a little obsessive) are similarly shaded rather than black-and-white. The ending suggests that an intriguing sequel is to come.
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943169-32-0
Page Count: 212
Publisher: Plum Street Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.
In the ninth book in the Bluford young-adult series, a young Latino man walks away from violence—but at great personal cost.
In a large Southern California city, 16-year-old Martin Luna hangs out on the fringes of gang life. He’s disaffected, fatherless and increasingly drawn into the orbit of the older, rougher Frankie. When a stray bullet kills Martin’s adored 8-year-old brother, Huero, Martin seems to be heading into a life of crime. But Martin’s mother, determined not to lose another son, moves him to another neighborhood—the fictional town of Bluford, where he attends the racially diverse Bluford High. At his new school, the still-grieving Martin quickly makes enemies and gets into trouble. But he also makes friends with a kind English teacher and catches the eye of Vicky, a smart, pretty and outgoing Bluford student. Martin’s first-person narration supplies much of the book’s power. His dialogue is plain, but realistic and believable, and the authors wisely avoid the temptation to lard his speech with dated and potentially embarrassing slang. The author draws a vivid and affecting picture of Martin’s pain and confusion, bringing a tight-lipped teenager to life. In fact, Martin’s character is so well drawn that when he realizes the truth about his friend Frankie, readers won’t feel as if they are watching an after-school special, but as though they are observing the natural progression of Martin’s personal growth. This short novel appears to be aimed at urban teens who don’t often see their neighborhoods portrayed in young-adult fiction, but its sophisticated characters and affecting story will likely have much wider appeal.
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2004
ISBN: 978-1591940173
Page Count: 152
Publisher: Townsend Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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