An original exploration of mental health set against an intriguing backdrop.
An anxious girl obtains a lead role in the Halloween play and confronts a legendary curse.
Sixteen-year-old Italian Canadian Violet Costantino and her best friend, Kay, who’s Two-Spirit and cued Cree, are scholarship students at Dark Cove Arts Academy, an elite performing arts boarding school on an island in British Columbia. Following an onstage panic attack the previous year, Violet switched to playwriting. But the required audition for the upcoming season unexpectedly lands her a major role in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and a spot in the Dark Cove Theatre Society, known for hosting secret parties at an abandoned campsite that’s plagued by rumors of a “slasher-type killer” responsible for students having gone missing years ago. Violet, who’s queer, takes the stage with her ex-crush Hunter Kinsey, the school’s golden boy, and Frankie Lin, the popular “resident ingenue,” who simultaneously irritates and impresses her. Mysterious events lead to Violet’s becoming the suspected target of the Society curse, whose victim is destined to drop out before opening night. Violet must avoid the curse, navigate complicated love triangles (on- and offstage), cope with mental health challenges, and resolve a fight with Kay. Although the plotlines wrap up a bit too quickly, this debut with gothic touches centers on diverse, well-developed teens who challenge their school’s narrow norms. Riley’s detailed worldbuilding creates a setting that readers will wish to explore more deeply than the story allows.
An original exploration of mental health set against an intriguing backdrop. (map, director’s note, playlist) (Fiction. 13-17)Pub Date: Oct. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9781834020099
Page Count: 280
Publisher: Annick Press
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2025
A welcome hit into the outfield of books about queer athletes.
A closeted teen steps up to the plate for a cute boy—and himself.
After jocks ridicule and knock over his history class presentation, freshman Jonah picks up the pieces. Cute classmate Elliot helps. That small act of kindness makes sparks fly, cuing confusing feelings. Jonah decides to join the baseball team to get closer to Elliot—even if it means enduring more bullying from the other teammates. But Coach Jackson sees Jonah’s athletic potential and takes him under his wing. As the plot follows the four baseball seasons until Jonah’s graduation, Jonah slowly goes from laughingstock to star. But does he ever truly fit in? Cartoonist and editor Newman’s semiautobiographical graphic novel debut is a heartfelt tale of self-discovery. Consolidating all four years of high school into one book makes for a quick pace. Clever paneling and nearly wordless sequences effectively pump the brakes for key moments—and show glimpses of Jonah’s wild imagination. Despite the rampant bro culture and homophobia of the aughts setting, multiple queer characters of all ages at various stages of coming out add an important sense of community and possibility. A subplot about a female teammate briefly touches on sexism. Though the ensemble cast is diverse in skin tone, the majority of the main cast present white; Coach Jackson is Black.
A welcome hit into the outfield of books about queer athletes. (author’s note, process notes, resources) (Graphic fiction. 14-17)Pub Date: March 26, 2024
ISBN: 9781524884826
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Review Posted Online: Dec. 16, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2024
PERSPECTIVES
A disappointing, unfulfilling journey with forgettable characters.
A no-technology challenge in a small Northern California town turns sinister.
After Samantha shoplifts but lets her friend Luna take the fall for her crime, Luna is rightfully enraged—and not least because her mother, a Spanish immigrant, is at risk of losing her visa to remain in the U.S., making any sort of criminal activity especially harmful. Luna uploads a video of a drunk Samantha bad-mouthing her friends and other classmates to Limbo, the social media app everyone’s obsessed with. Even though she has regrets and deletes it shortly after, she isn’t fast enough, and the video goes viral. The harsh response results in Samantha’s attempting to take her own life. The fact that she survives alleviates some of Luna’s guilt, but she still sends a private message to the app developers, explaining her role in what happened and asking for their help as she seeks accountability. Much to everyone’s surprise, the Limbo CEO comes to their school and proposes a challenge: Any student who manages to go the entire school year without using technology, including their phones, will receive a full-ride scholarship to college. As the year progresses, however, some of Luna’s friends disappear and the real nature of #RetroChallenge becomes clear. Though the fast pace will appeal to reluctant readers, it comes at the expense of character development and relationship-building, making it hard to feel attached to any of them. The stilted dialogue poses another obstacle.
A disappointing, unfulfilling journey with forgettable characters. (Thriller. 13-17)Pub Date: Jan. 24, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-66590-275-5
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2022
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