An enchanting, socially conscious fantasy with sophisticated layers.
In the late 1880s, a spirit and an enchanter work together to destroy a powerful secret society.
Four months ago, Sam May died. Now in the spirit realm, Sam plots revenge against his murderer: Simeon Trench, an enchantment student at Massachusetts Commonwealth University and member of the secret Cisneros Society, which rules with an iron fist. It’s able to do so thanks to powerful enchanters among their ranks who are supported by bound spirit thews. Sam’s options are limited to influencing one unusually perceptive police constable. That is, until Sam notices Clem Quinn, a seemingly bumbling new enchantment student at the university who’s become a target for blond, blue-eyed golden boy Simeon’s covert cruelty. Unbeknownst to Sam, however, Clem has plans of his own. When Clem was a child, his mother was killed and made into a spirit thew. Now, he’s determined to free her. But when a secret Clem is keeping is revealed, he must rework his plans while navigating scandal and pushing back against societal inequalities and the Society’s malevolence. With her immersive setting and engaging narrative, Grove weaves a complex tale that explores the fight against injustice and exploitation, with details that will delight attentive readers. Through surprising twists and well-timed reveals, the compelling plot and smooth prose maintain suspense despite the leisurely pacing. In this world, with its Spanish language–infused magic system, Sam and Clem have familial roots in the Yucatán and Hispaniola, respectively.
An enchanting, socially conscious fantasy with sophisticated layers. (Historical fantasy. 12-18)Pub Date: July 21, 2026
ISBN: 9781665983709
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: April 6, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2026
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
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter.
After a Nigerian British girl goes off to an exclusive boarding school that seems to prey on less-privileged students, she discovers there might be some truth behind an urban legend.
Ife Adebola joins the Urban Achievers scholarship program at pricey, high-pressure Nithercott School, arriving shortly after a student called Leon mysteriously disappeared. Gossip says he’s a victim of the glowing-eyed Changing Man who targets the lonely, leaving them changed. Ife doesn’t believe in the myth, but amid the stresses of Nithercott’s competitive, privileged, majority-white environment, where she is constantly reminded of her state school background, she does miss her friends and family. When Malika, a fellow Black scholarship student, disappears and then returns, acting strangely devoid of personality, Ife worries the Changing Man is real—and that she’s next. Ife joins forces with classmate Bijal and Benny, Leon’s younger brother, to uncover the truth about who the Changing Man is and what he wants. Culminating in a detailed, gory, and extended climactic battle, this verbose thriller tempts readers with a nefarious mystery involving racial and class-based violence but never quite lives up to its potential and peters out thematically by its explosive finale. However, this debut offers highly visually evocative and eerie descriptions of characters and events and will appeal to fans of creature horror, social commentary, and dark academia.
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9781250868138
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
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