This novel sets the table for magic, action, and intrigue, but doesn’t quite serve a full meal.
In Dunning’s YA novel, an eclectic resistance group turns to a teen girl and a magical root vegetable to save a world ravaged by famine.
Teenager Suzy lives in a barren world where food scarcity is the norm; in many places, not even grass grows. Her parents are missing, so she stays with her Aunt Ethel and Uncle Sid. The soup grows thinner each day, and they and their neighbors follow suit—except for Mrs. Limpke, a woman so robust she barely fits in the purple, supercharged electric wheelchair she zooms about in. Suzy can’t resist spying on someone so curious, and one night she spies the woman singing and dancing bizarrely in her yard next door. When Mrs. Limpke runs afoul of a menacing figure (a “surprisingly big man in [a] black coat and hat”), the corpulent woman reveals that Suzy has been chosen by a magical turnip with a provenance that harkens back to what is now modern-day Ukraine. Now the turnip’s keeper, Suzy finds her new cruciferous charge draws not only the attention of murderous figures who may have connections to the virus that caused the famine, but also that of allies in the form of the Resistance, the Eyrie—founded, in part, by her own parents. This first entry in Dunning’s The Perilous Times Saga leans on familiar hallmarks of the YA genre, from a curious, intelligent teen protagonist burdened with unexpected responsibility to the inconveniences of dealing with coming-of-age awkwardness while battling a shadowy conspiracy. The supporting cast feel well rounded, with layered, hinted-at backstories and fun idiosyncrasies, often including the use of odd or antiquated wordplay. The narrative struggles to build conflict, however; the author seems more interested in lengthy exposition than exciting action sequences, which often feel rushed. The presence of turnips in Slavic and European fairy tales and folklore place the novel in a unique, perhaps forgotten tradition of stories about famine and struggle and set the stage for a potentially whimsical and compelling series.
This novel sets the table for magic, action, and intrigue, but doesn’t quite serve a full meal.Pub Date: Feb. 13, 2025
ISBN: 9781038327291
Page Count: 222
Publisher: FriesenPress
Review Posted Online: April 30, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Raw, delicate, and deeply caring.
When Death-Cast doesn’t call, fate intertwines the lives of two boys, both haunted by their pasts and with futures they can’t escape.
In this third installment of the series that opened with 2017’s They Both Die at the End, Paz Dario waits every night for Death-Cast to call—as it should have for his father nearly 10 years ago, when Paz shot him to save his mother’s life. But the call never comes. Death-Cast killed Paz’s dreams of an acting career: No one will hire him now because the world sees him as a villain. When Paz tries (not for the first time) to put an end to his suffering, an unexpected encounter with Alano Rosa, the heir of Death-Cast, stops him. Both in a place of desperation, Alano and Paz sign a contract to live for Begin Days instead of waiting for their End Days. As suspenseful and emotionally wrenching as the previous titles in the series, this new installment explores heavy themes of abuse, mental health, self-harm, and suicide. Paz grapples with a recent diagnosis of borderline personality disorder. Silvera surrounds Alano and Paz with a web of complex relationships. Although the protagonists fall fast for one another and form a deep connection over Alano’s desire to support Paz, Silvera emphasizes the importance of professional help. Both Alano and Paz have Puerto Rican heritage. The cliffhanger ending promises more to come.
Raw, delicate, and deeply caring. (content warning, resources) (Speculative fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780063240858
Page Count: 720
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.
The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.
Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798987380406
Page Count: 538
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
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