A magical tale of timeless friendship and selfless courage.
A lonely girl finds friends—and a noble purpose—visiting a magical realm in Brick’s middle-grade fantasy novel.
Adeline Perle, the 12-year-old daughter of a Navy officer, is distinguished by striking heterochromia and a wildly creative mind. Struggling to find friendship in the course of her family’s frequent moves, Adeline hopes their relocation to Connecticut will finally offer the stability of home. But behind the stately façade of her uncle’s Victorian house, supernatural secrets lie in wait. Happening upon a passageway to an odd octagonal room, Adeline is immersed in a collection of mysterious objects; hidden among them is an otherworldly crystal. She soon discovers that this glowing object, called the Zelmir, has been hidden for a reason: Coveted by dangerous forces that will kill to possess its power, the crystal pulls Adeline into a realm called Nouvaal, where “The Righteous Heli’aa” rules with a vindictive heart. Adeline finds herself at the center of a deadly conflict over power and magic, a civil war in which innocent people vanish. With the guidance of newfound friends, including an attractive boy named Gabriel (“Everyone at school thinks he’s this big heartthrob now, but really he just grew by a foot and started actually doing something to his hair over the summer”), Adeline finds the courage to face down evil forces in the hope of solving the mystery of the vanishing citizens. Fantasy fans of all ages will delight in this highly imaginative work, which steeps readers in rich beauty and supernatural elements. Nouvaal’s residents—a diverse society of humanlike Paeth, playful Niigh, and frightening beasts—are enigmatic and fun. Interweaving themes of duality and hidden identities, the narrative compellingly depicts Adeline’s struggle against self-doubt amidst an ever-shifting landscape. Blending coming-of-age themes with supernatural surprises, this novel will keep readers hooked to the final page.
A magical tale of timeless friendship and selfless courage.Pub Date: March 26, 2024
ISBN: 9798989475414
Page Count: 232
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: April 9, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Contagiously goofy and fun.
Area 51 gets its first new resident in 5 years—and a new mystery.
When her grandma moves into a kid-free retirement home, 12-year-old orphan Priya “Sky” Patel-Baum and Spike, her pet hedgehog, relocate to Area 51 to live with Sky’s eccentric Uncle Anish. At 51, humans and Break Throughs (government-speak for aliens) live together off-grid in harmony. Unfortunately, several Zdstrammars (one of many Break Through species) mysteriously disappear, disrupting the base’s harmony and contributing to feelings of suspicion. Despite being deputy head of the Federal Bureau of Alien Investigations, Uncle Anish becomes a prime suspect. Can Sky and Elvis, her alien classmate, prove Uncle Anish’s innocence and find the missing Zdstrammars before it’s too late? YA author Buxbaum’s middle-grade debut is a rip-roaring series opener complete with over-the-top characters and jokes galore. Naidu’s black-and-white cartoon illustrations extend the comedy with ongoing commentary that smartly interacts with the prose. The cast of Break Through species—like Audiotooters, Galzorian, and Sanitizoria—have hilariously creative on-the-nose names with illustrations to match. Sky is coded biracial, with a White dad and Indian mom. Aliens appear in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors; Elvis shape-shifts but looks like a brown-skinned boy to Sky. Though the main mystery is neatly wrapped up, the cliffhanger ending promises more laughs.
Contagiously goofy and fun. (Mystery. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-42946-4
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2022
A worthy combination of athletic action, the virtues of inner strength, and the importance of friendship.
A young tennis champion becomes the target of revenge.
In this sequel to Legacy and the Queen (2019), Legacy Petrin and her friends Javi and Pippa have returned to Legacy’s home province and the orphanage run by her father. With her friends’ help, she is in training to defend her championship when they discover that another player, operating under the protection of High Consul Silla, is presenting herself as Legacy. She is so convincing that the real Legacy is accused of being an imitation. False Legacy has become a hero to the masses, further strengthening Silla’s hold, and it becomes imperative to uncover and defeat her. If Legacy is to win again, she must play her imposter while disguised as someone else. Winning at tennis is not just about money and fame, but resisting Silla’s plans to send more young people into brutal mines with little hope of better lives. Legacy will have to overcome her fears and find the magic that allowed her to claim victory in the past. This story, with its elements of sports, fantasy, and social consciousness that highlight tensions between the powerful and those they prey upon, successfully continues the series conceived by late basketball superstar Bryant. As before, the tennis matches are depicted with pace and spirit. Legacy and Javi have brown skin; most other characters default to White.
A worthy combination of athletic action, the virtues of inner strength, and the importance of friendship. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: Aug. 24, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-949520-19-4
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Granity Studios
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
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