A novel that’s sure to be a hit with everyday princesses who like junk food and video games.
Addams presents a modern YA fairy tale in which a princess deals with suitors, dragons, and approaching adulthood.
Sometime before her 18th birthday, Princess Nightingale—“Gale” for short—of the land of This-and-That chose to move to a tower at the edge of the woods. She needed her own space to stay up late playing an online game called Scabs of Destiny and then sleep until noon—or whenever her magic mirror, Reflexa, awakens her. The idea of becoming a responsible adult was already daunting, and then Wrathnarok, Harbinger of Doom, shows up. The large dragon lets Gale know that she’s about to receive several suitors hoping to win her hand. Gale doesn’t take this news well: “You OK, kid?” asks Wrathnarok. “You look like a puppy trying to bite a football.” Traditionally, a princess presents her husband-to-be to the court at her 18th birthday celebration. Gale’s not sure if she wants to be a princess anymore, and she isn’t looking to get married any time soon—especially not to the sad specimens who show up at her tower. Dragons also make difficult roommates; they eat everything in sight—even, on occasion, people. Can Gale make choices about her life without letting her kingdom down? Addams delivers a delightful tale that subversively values the independence of its protagonist above all. Gale effectively learns to find her joy in self-reliance with the help of her support network; her friends and family prove to be so understanding, in fact, that it takes some of the conflict out of her decisions. However, the novel more than makes up for this slight drawback with its sharp humor, as expressed by an exhausted narrator trying their best. The fantasy world, which not only features dragons but also the social network Gracebook and royal pizza makers, is entertaining, but the banter between Gale and Wrathnarok—who agrees to be called Mittens and shrink down to the size of a dog when off-duty—is the highlight of the story.
A novel that’s sure to be a hit with everyday princesses who like junk food and video games.Pub Date: May 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781961075344
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Amazon Book Marketing Pros
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
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
© Copyright 2025 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.
