A solid series entry that takes its characters in exciting new directions.
A team of feisty, superpowered teenagers fights to prevent a global war in this YA SF sequel to Extant (2019).
Newland follows up her solid debut with an even more engaging second installment, which starts with Natalie Morrigan, Tawney Davis, Owen Johnson, and Brant Smith on the run from the cultlike, totalitarian Nautilus organization. They’re currently holed up in a new safe house, a lighthouse called Ancora III, with their dogs, Enzo and Angie. They have no idea what happened to their friend Leo Merrick, and they’ve also lost their beloved mentor, Natalie’s uncle Christopher Reyes. Natalie struggles with her inability to control a unique, newfound time-traveling power known as “tacking,” and she also keeps a secret from her friends—that they’re all adopted—believing they need to hear the truth directly from their parents. However, Nautilus, bent on world domination, is still holding their parents hostage. When her friends insist on attending a large festival in Florida to blow off some steam, Natalie reluctantly agrees. When the event turns out to be a Nautilus recruiting fair, the four hatch a plan to infiltrate its headquarters by posing as new trainees. Meanwhile, Leo finds himself on the other side of the ocean, severely wounded and in the care of three strange sisters who have their own good reasons to hate and fear Nautilus. The narrative alternates between Natalie’s and Leo’s points of view, and the author deftly fills in the relevant background details while jumping right into the current action. Unexpected new angles on familiar characters and intriguing new players, with their own surprising secrets and quirks, add depth to the story. Plenty of action pulls the reader along, moving from the lighthouse to St. Augustine, Florida; Paris; Scotland; Iceland; and the Chesapeake Bay, and from Métro to bicycle to private jet. The plot avoids the open-ended middle-of-a-trilogy trap, providing a satisfyingly complete story arc while also building on the debut and setting up an intriguing premise for a third novel.
A solid series entry that takes its characters in exciting new directions.Pub Date: April 4, 2021
ISBN: 9781733345842
Page Count: 390
Publisher: Hiking Hedgehog Press, LLC
Review Posted Online: March 2, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet if muddled tale of the magic of Appalachia.
A teenage witch goes up against the evil king of the mountain to save a cursed village.
Witch-in-training Verity Vox has spent a year apiece in different villages, helping in any way she can as she learns her art. When it’s time to move on, she receives a sign that shows her where to go next. When the latest sign appears in the form of a note begging for help that floats down on a leaf, she’s eager for the challenge. Verity winds up in Foxfire, a village in the Appalachian mountains that’s been magically cut off from the rest of the world for years, leaving its people close to starvation. The root of their suffering is a man they know as Earl, who lives in the hills and strikes deals with the townspeople that ultimately cause crops to wither, folks to disappear, and the only bridge out of the valley to crumble. Verity is determined to change the villagers’ fortunes, but to do so she’ll have to face off against not just Earl but the ancient power of the mountains itself. Loosely based on the Germanic Erlking legend and told in a voice reminiscent of folktales, the story features a queer romance and a cast that presents white. The convoluted magic system undercuts the strong themes of reciprocity, poverty, and privilege, but Appalachian readers will instantly recognize home.
A sweet if muddled tale of the magic of Appalachia. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Aug. 5, 2025
ISBN: 9798890032706
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Page Street
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
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
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