A creepy literary adaptation to please existing Sabrina fans and that may entice new ones.
A prequel to Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.
Sabrina Spellman lives with her aunts, Zelda and Hilda, and cousin Ambrose in their funeral home, which they run because “even witches need to make a living.” As the daughter of a warlock, Sabrina possesses magical abilities that may be further realized once she has her dark baptism and enrolls in the Academy of Unseen Arts. But her half-mortal self is hesitant to leave behind her friends, Roz and Susie, and her sweet, artsy boyfriend, Harvey. Pressured by Zelda to uphold the Spellman family name, she is mocked by her potential Academy peers for only being half witch, and to top it all off, she doubts Harvey’s feelings for her. She and Ambrose cast a spell which intensifies Harvey’s infatuation, leaving Sabrina overwhelmed rather than reassured. And when she turns to an admiring wishing-well spirit for help, matters only worsen. The narrative alternates between chapters told from Sabrina’s point of view and those titled “What Happens in the Dark”—the latter offering insight into various characters’ weaknesses and fears. Lack of fully rounded character development hinders readers’ full investment, but glimpses into the characters’ darker sides will pique interest. The racial makeup of the cast reflects that of the television show: Sabrina is white, Ambrose is black, and there is diversity in several supporting characters.
A creepy literary adaptation to please existing Sabrina fans and that may entice new ones. (Horror. 13-adult)Pub Date: July 9, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-32604-8
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 21, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2019
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
This grittily provocative debut explores the horrors of self-harm and the healing power of artistic expression.
After surviving a suicide attempt, a fragile teen isn't sure she can endure without cutting herself.
Seventeen-year-old Charlie Davis, a white girl living on the margins, thinks she has little reason to live: her father drowned himself; her bereft and abusive mother kicked her out; her best friend, Ellis, is nearly brain dead after cutting too deeply; and she's gone through unspeakable experiences living on the street. After spending time in treatment with other young women like her—who cut, burn, poke, and otherwise hurt themselves—Charlie is released and takes a bus from the Twin Cities to Tucson to be closer to Mikey, a boy she "like-likes" but who had pined for Ellis instead. But things don't go as planned in the Arizona desert, because sweet Mikey just wants to be friends. Feeling rejected, Charlie, an artist, is drawn into a destructive new relationship with her sexy older co-worker, a "semifamous" local musician who's obviously a junkie alcoholic. Through intense, diarylike chapters chronicling Charlie's journey, the author captures the brutal and heartbreaking way "girls who write their pain on their bodies" scar and mar themselves, either succumbing or surviving. Like most issue books, this is not an easy read, but it's poignant and transcendent as Charlie breaks more and more before piecing herself back together.
This grittily provocative debut explores the horrors of self-harm and the healing power of artistic expression. (author’s note) (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-101-93471-5
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2016
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