An engaging, if predictable, take on the tropes of historical fiction and fantasy.
In 1907, a web of secrets is unraveled after 17-year-old Verity and her younger sister, Lilah, arrive by way of an orphan train.
Verity Pruitt is forced to abandon her offer of college acceptance when her widowed father is involuntarily committed to an asylum. Arriving in Wheeler, Arkansas, Verity is heartbroken to discover that Lilah is to be adopted by Maeve Donovan, a beautiful, mysterious woman, and her taciturn uncle while Verity is taken in as an indenture by brusque but kindly farmers. It’s clear from the start that there is something otherworldly about the woods near the town, and as Verity struggles to find a way to reunite with her sister, she uncovers layer after layer of a tragic backstory that echoes traditional fairy tales, interspersed with her straightforward narrative. Verity’s smart, determined, and sometimes stubborn persona will bring readers into her corner. The plot spools out lengthily though there’s never a lot of question about its likely resolution and even less doubt that Verity and the bookish, handsome Abel Atchley will find their way past their initial friction. Still, this blend of genres will appeal to a variety of readers with its detailed setting and plot. All characters, both primary and secondary, seem to be White.
An engaging, if predictable, take on the tropes of historical fiction and fantasy. (Historical fantasy. 12-18)Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-22473-6
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Tor Teen
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2020
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and...
A deliciously creepy page-turning gem from first-time writer and illustrator Brosgol finds brooding teenager Anya trying to escape the past—both her own and the ghost haunting her.
Anya feels out of place at her preppy private school; embarrassed by her Russian heritage, she has worked hard to lose her accent and to look more like everyone else. After a particularly frustrating morning at the bus stop, Anya storms off, only to accidentally fall down a well. Down in the dark hole, she meets Emily, a ghost who claims to be a murder victim trapped down in the dank abyss for 90 years. With Emily’s help, Anya manages to escape, though once free, she learns that Emily has traveled out with her. At first, Emily seems like the perfect friend; however, once her motives become clear, Anya learns that “perfect” may only be an illusion. A moodily atmospheric spectrum of grays washes over the clean, tidy panels, setting a distinct stage before the first words appear. Brosgol’s tight storytelling invokes the chilling feeling of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline (2002), though for a decidedly older set.
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and outward appearance. (Graphic supernatural fiction. 12 & up)Pub Date: June 7, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-59643-552-0
Page Count: 224
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: April 18, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2011
An entertaining and atmospheric, though sometimes clumsy, exploration of the true cost of beauty.
In this retelling of a classic, a drama student’s obsession with beauty leads her down a dark—and possibly deadly—path.
Eighteen-year-old Penny Paxton is beginning her first year at Dorian Drama Academy in Edinburgh, Scotland, where she hopes to follow in her starlet mother’s footsteps—and earn the love that her mother has never seemed to offer. At Dorian, Penny is mentored by Royal Shakespeare Company legend Orlagh Camran, who makes her the compelling offer of a portrait by the Masked Painter, a mysterious artist with the ability to gift his subjects everlasting youth and beauty. But shortly after Penny’s portrait is complete, several of the Masked Painter’s subjects are found murdered. Fearing that she’s made a terrible mistake and may become the next victim, Penny, who’s gay, begins to investigate the murders with the help of an unlikely ally. As she attempts to uncover the truth surrounding the Masked Painter and the murders, she’s forced to reckon with her own toxic obsession with beauty. This chilling, atmospheric novel, inspired by The Picture of Dorian Gray, is entertaining and full of twists, though some of the reveals feel contrived and some questions are left unanswered. The plot unravels at a leisurely pace but eventually builds to an action-packed (if somewhat convoluted) conclusion. Most characters are cued white.
An entertaining and atmospheric, though sometimes clumsy, exploration of the true cost of beauty. (content note, author’s note, bonus scene) (Fantasy thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: May 26, 2026
ISBN: 9781250346797
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
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