An alluring and lyrical journey.
“We were a fractured pair / when we were meant to be / a trio”: Two teens descend into the underworld to rescue their lost love.
Andres Santos, from São Paulo, Brazil, once “wore two faces…the jaguar and the prince.” Furious and cruel, he took whatever he wanted—until the Tietê River nearly took his life. Face to face with Death, terrified that he had wasted his life, Andres made a desperate bargain: something he hates (his anger) in exchange for something he loves (a debt that Death will one day come to collect). Armed with a new guitar, Andres starts fresh in Miami, where he’s swept away from the tempestuous relationship of his Cuban mami and Brazilian papi by Liora Rose (who’s cued white and Jewish) and “ruby-haired” Renee Delgado (who’s Cuban American). Neither Liora nor Renee knows of the shadow that Andres left in the underworld, but they have secrets of their own. Their fairy-tale bliss comes to an abrupt end with a car crash. Andres and Renee have one chance to save Liora, but to do so, they must brave the abyss. Joined by a boy named Virgil, the characters in this reimagining of the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice confront their regrets, insecurities, feelings for one another, and dreams for the future. Spun with allusions to mythology and literature, Romero’s novel in verse ensnares hearts and imaginations through vivid and memorable poetic craft that captures the ache and complexity of love.
An alluring and lyrical journey. (Verse fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 7, 2024
ISBN: 9781682636916
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Peachtree Teen
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in.
Black is back with another dark tale of Faerie, this one set in Faerie and launching a new trilogy.
Jude—broken, rebuilt, fueled by anger and a sense of powerlessness—has never recovered from watching her adoptive Faerie father murder her parents. Human Jude (whose brown hair curls and whose skin color is never described) both hates and loves Madoc, whose murderous nature is true to his Faerie self and who in his way loves her. Brought up among the Gentry, Jude has never felt at ease, but after a decade, Faerie has become her home despite the constant peril. Black’s latest looks at nature and nurture and spins a tale of court intrigue, bloodshed, and a truly messed-up relationship that might be the saving of Jude and the titular prince, who, like Jude, has been shaped by the cruelties of others. Fierce and observant Jude is utterly unaware of the currents that swirl around her. She fights, plots, even murders enemies, but she must also navigate her relationship with her complex family (human, Faerie, and mixed). This is a heady blend of Faerie lore, high fantasy, and high school drama, dripping with description that brings the dangerous but tempting world of Faerie to life.
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in. (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-316-31027-7
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Sept. 25, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2017
A delicious winter romance that shimmers with classic fairy-tale magic.
An 18-year-old’s encounter with the pale, mysterious, golden-eyed Starmaker transforms her from hamlet girl to magical apprentice.
Aurora Finch discovers she possesses the rare ability to channel sunlight—magic essential to the survival of snow-covered Reverie, her mountain village, “with peaks so high the Sun [cannot] rise above them.” Now she faces a harsh choice: Leave everything behind to train at the Starmaker’s enchanted castle or die as the untapped magic destroys her from within. Griffin excels at worldbuilding; the story is filled with elements and characters that feel both whimsical and real, from Tilly, a living snow angel who’s searching for herself, to Constance, an immortal rabbit. As the antagonism between Aurora and the cold, centuries-old Starmaker melts, their love story, which forms the heart of this tale, crackles with tension. Aurora emerges as a compelling hero—stubborn and brave—who refuses to be diminished by the overwhelming responsibilities thrust upon her. The romantic storyline proves both strong and emotionally involving as the author brings fresh twists to familiar elements, exploring the power of stories and how they shape our understanding of the world. White-presenting Aurora faces a devastating truth that creates urgency and heightens the emotional stakes that drive the story to its conclusion. This satisfying, sparkling fantasy will capture hearts with its well-developed setting and captivating love story.
A delicious winter romance that shimmers with classic fairy-tale magic. (author’s note) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 17, 2026
ISBN: 9781728256184
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Oct. 10, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2025
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