Clever, creative and fun.
The separate worlds—and the Parallel between—face a threat that Cameron and his friends must stop in this Scottish import.
A pre-prologue exposition explains how a conspiracy attempted to separate the Human and Daemon worlds, achieving only partial separation and instead creating a gap between worlds. That gap—the Parallel—allows only the descendants of the World Split conspirators who caused it to travel between worlds. After a prologue, readers encounter Cameron and his friends from Daemon Parallel (2012)—werewolf Morgan and Eve, the young ex-Daemon servant who was prematurely aged to adulthood when her ex-mistress stole her body—running Cameron’s evil grandmother’s business. Dr Black arrives with a large, lumpy Mr Grey and a convincing legal claim on the business that sends the young heroes to the Parallel’s Court, where, unless they can prove Cameron’s dead grandmother still lives, they’ll lose everything. The wild plot involves mythological figures, deals forged on technicalities and the revelation that their adversaries have a bigger goal than the business. The madcap world is grounded by the relationships among characters as well as their struggles to fit into any world; newly minted werewolf Cameron’s wolf-longings and the disjuncture between Eve’s chronological and physical ages especially stand out. The villain goes from gross to terrifying, and the heroes end up making a bittersweet sacrifice that will leave readers demanding a continuation.
Clever, creative and fun. (Fantasy. 10-15)Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-178250-054-4
Page Count: 275
Publisher: Kelpiesteen
Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2014
Well-educated American boys from privileged families have abundant options for college and career. For Chiko, their Burmese counterpart, there are no good choices. There is never enough to eat, and his family lives in constant fear of the military regime that has imprisoned Chiko’s physician father. Soon Chiko is commandeered by the army, trained to hunt down members of the Karenni ethnic minority. Tai, another “recruit,” uses his streetwise survival skills to help them both survive. Meanwhile, Tu Reh, a Karenni youth whose village was torched by the Burmese Army, has been chosen for his first military mission in his people’s resistance movement. How the boys meet and what comes of it is the crux of this multi-voiced novel. While Perkins doesn’t sugarcoat her subject—coming of age in a brutal, fascistic society—this is a gentle story with a lot of heart, suitable for younger readers than the subject matter might suggest. It answers the question, “What is it like to be a child soldier?” clearly, but with hope. (author’s note, historical note) (Fiction. 11-14)
Pub Date: July 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-58089-328-2
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2010
A compelling survival adventure.
When her plane crashes, Robie’s years of living with her researcher parents on Midway Island provide her with important knowledge.
Cutting short a visit to an aunt in Honolulu, 15-year-old Robie gets on a small cargo plane delivering supplies that founders in an electrical storm; a crash quickly follows engine failure. The raft that becomes her support contains some useful items, but with the only other survivor almost comatose, it is clear that Robie is pretty much on her own. As a survival tale, this is both engaging and full of scary factoids and frightening possibilities. Not completely likable, Robie nonetheless engages readers with her sometimes almost stream-of-consciousness narration. She finds ways to push herself to be brave and do what is needed to survive. Her familiarity with the flora and fauna of the Pacific islands proves both asset and hindrance: She knows the danger she's in. Her thoughts are often selfish, almost whiny, but this rough-edges glimpse into her personality ultimately makes both her decisions and her chances of survival more realistic. Despite its small font, it's a quick read, thanks to plenty of white space.
A compelling survival adventure. (Adventure. 11-15)Pub Date: Aug. 21, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-312-65010-0
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: June 5, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2012
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