by Sarah Maria Griffin ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 12, 2019
Ardent grammar students may enjoy parsing the language. Other people may suspect the author is having more fun than they are.
A teacher could get an entire unit on grammar and sentence construction out of this horror novel.
Some sections of the book are written in the second person (“Your scream is caught in your throat as you stare”), others have eccentric capitalization (“there are children in the house and i am hungry”), and many pages include footnotes that argue with the main text and deflate the characters’ illusions about life. When a character is told, “You will forgive your parents,” the footnote reads, “Almost.” Arrested Development fans may be reminded of Ron Howard’s dry, matter-of-fact narration. Some readers will find all the different speech patterns distracting, and the story—about love and rivalry in a family of magicians—is puzzling enough as it is. In one chapter, a supernatural being tries to bring a young witch under his thrall by showing her all the wonders he can offer. He guides her into a secret chamber where she sees…a room filled with moths. Many people will find entomology less than tempting. There are too many sorcerers’ voices in the book, and the stakes of their battles are too abstract. (The characters are white but often queer.) Some passages are also overwritten. “Love is the realest thing” almost demands a comment from Ron Howard.
Ardent grammar students may enjoy parsing the language. Other people may suspect the author is having more fun than they are. (Fiction. 14-19)Pub Date: March 12, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-06-240891-4
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 12, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2018
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by Holly Black ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 2, 2018
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in.
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New York Times Bestseller
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
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More In The Series
by Holly Black ; illustrated by Rovina Cai
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by Holly Black & Kaliis Smith ; illustrated by Ebony Glenn
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by Holly Black
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by Holly Black
by K.L. Walther ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 4, 2021
Summery fun and games with feeling.
A summer trip helps break 18-year-old Meredith Fox out of a haze of mourning.
Her cousin’s wedding means a return to Martha’s Vineyard, a well-loved destination but one filled with bittersweet memories. It’s been a year and a half since the sudden loss of Meredith’s sister, Claire, and the grief remains strong. Meredith, though, resolves to take this time to celebrate family and bridge the rifts resulting from ghosting friends. She didn’t plan on a meet-cute/embarrassing encounter with the groom’s stepbrother, Wit. Nor did she expect a wedding-week game of Assassin, a water-gun–fueled family tradition. What starts off as a pact of sharing strategic information with Wit grows into something more as the flirting and feelings develop. Only one person can win, though, and any alliance has an expiration date. To win and honor Claire, who was a master of the game, Meredith must keep her eye on the prize. Taking place over the course of a week, the narrative is tight with well-paced reveals that disrupt predictability and keep the plot moving. Early details are picked back up, and many elements come satisfyingly full circle. The short time frame also heightens the tension of this summer romance: What will happen when they leave the bubble of the Vineyard? The mix of budding romance, competitive hijinks, a close-knit circle, as well as dealing with loss make for a satisfying read. The main cast is White.
Summery fun and games with feeling. (family tree) (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-72821-029-2
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: March 30, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2021
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by K.L. Walther
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by K.L. Walther
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