Monstrously long and far from electrifying.
A studious, if salacious, retelling of young Mary Shelley’s life, pre-Frankenstein.
Idolizing her deceased, feminist mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, and scorning her siblings and stepmother, Mary Godwin wants to be a respected writer. In 1814, 16-year-old Mary follows 20-something Romantic author Sir Percy Bysshe Shelley (already married and father of two) across Europe and into poverty with her 16-year-old stepsister Claire (nee Jane)—first a third wheel, then the third member of their dysfunctional polyamorous relationship—in tow. Pregnancies, deaths, and suicides real and threatened ensue as the trio live by their principles, inviting scandal but surprised by ostracism. Despite numerous narrators, ecstatic epistles, and excerpts from their published works, the characters are difficult to connect with and, often, unlikable. The trio’s inconsistency undermines their oft-repeated fiery rhetoric and radical philosophies while their panoply of sexual behaviors—polyamory, free love, bisexuality—get introductions but little illumination. Scholars of the Shelleys already know the plot points but may be amused by the speculative reconstruction of Claire while other readers may be hampered by the leaden language, Gothic floridity, and late introduction of Frankenstein-specific material. Despite the initial ages of the Godwin teens, this is less a YA novel than a soporific if soap opera–worthy adult tale of self-absorbed, self-righteous artists.
Monstrously long and far from electrifying. (author's note) (Historical fiction. 16-adult)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-78344-802-9
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Andersen/Trafalgar
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
A contemporary hero’s journey, brilliantly told.
The 17-year-old son of a troubled rock star is determined to find his own way in life and love.
On the verge of adulthood, Blade Morrison wants to leave his father’s bad-boy reputation for drug-and-alcohol–induced antics and his sister’s edgy lifestyle behind. The death of his mother 10 years ago left them all without an anchor. Named for the black superhero, Blade shares his family’s connection to music but resents the paparazzi that prevent him from having an open relationship with the girl that he loves. However, there is one secret even Blade is unaware of, and when his sister reveals the truth of his heritage during a bitter fight, Blade is stunned. When he finally gains some measure of equilibrium, he decides to investigate, embarking on a search that will lead him to a small, remote village in Ghana. Along the way, he meets people with a sense of purpose, especially Joy, a young Ghanaian who helps him despite her suspicions of Americans. This rich novel in verse is full of the music that forms its core. In addition to Alexander and co-author Hess’ skilled use of language, references to classic rock songs abound. Secondary characters add texture to the story: does his girlfriend have real feelings for Blade? Is there more to his father than his inability to stay clean and sober? At the center is Blade, fully realized and achingly real in his pain and confusion.
A contemporary hero’s journey, brilliantly told. (Verse fiction. 14-adult)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-310-76183-9
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Blink
Review Posted Online: April 30, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2017
PERSPECTIVES
Heartbreaking, historical, and a little bit hopeful.
January 1945: as Russians advance through East Prussia, four teens’ lives converge in hopes of escape.
Returning to the successful formula of her highly lauded debut, Between Shades of Gray (2011), Sepetys combines research (described in extensive backmatter) with well-crafted fiction to bring to life another little-known story: the sinking (from Soviet torpedoes) of the German ship Wilhelm Gustloff. Told in four alternating voices—Lithuanian nurse Joana, Polish Emilia, Prussian forger Florian, and German soldier Alfred—with often contemporary cadences, this stints on neither history nor fiction. The three sympathetic refugees and their motley companions (especially an orphaned boy and an elderly shoemaker) make it clear that while the Gustloff was a German ship full of German civilians and soldiers during World War II, its sinking was still a tragedy. Only Alfred, stationed on the Gustloff, lacks sympathy; almost a caricature, he is self-delusional, unlikable, a Hitler worshiper. As a vehicle for exposition, however, and a reminder of Germany’s role in the war, he serves an invaluable purpose that almost makes up for the mustache-twirling quality of his petty villainy. The inevitability of the ending (including the loss of several characters) doesn’t change its poignancy, and the short chapters and slowly revealed back stories for each character guarantee the pages keep turning.
Heartbreaking, historical, and a little bit hopeful. (author’s note, research and sources, maps) (Historical fiction. 12-16)Pub Date: Feb. 2, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-399-16030-1
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: Nov. 2, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2015
PROFILES
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