by Susan Moger ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 1, 2016
Sure to spark difficult but necessary discussions.
Moger's debut novel tackles a little-studied chapter of American history.
Sixteen-year-old Rowan Collier has always been privileged—her father, a scientist, taught her that Colliers are "the fittest of the fit." But when she contracted polio at age 11, the growing eugenics movement plunged her into the insidiously sinister meaning of "fitness." Now, in 1922, Rowan is forced to perform as a cripple in the Betterment Council sideshow denouncing "unfit families": sick or disabled people, immigrants, and others deemed unfit to reproduce. When Rowan and her mischievous friend, Dorchy, escape the carnival, they become counselors at the Council's prophetically named Camp for Unfortunates and discover horrifying experiments they must stop. Unfortunately, Rowan's habit of summarizing chapter events slows the novel’s momentum. Threaded through the seedy carnival and camp action and Rowan's flashbacks are classism, accounts of sterilization, and the subtle chill of supremacism couched in concern—even love. Rowan's conflicts with privilege and family loyalty emphasize how easily eugenics could take root, and there are no easy endings; the epilogue hints at future medical atrocities, implicating the eugenics movement as a precursor to the horrors of Nazi Germany. An author's note provides a brief explanation and complicates popular historical figures, such as Theodore Roosevelt and Alexander Graham Bell, by revealing their support of eugenics.
Sure to spark difficult but necessary discussions. (author's note) (Historical fiction. 13-16)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-8075-4774-8
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: Dec. 7, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2015
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by Kiera Cass ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 5, 2020
Skip this uninspired entry into the world of medieval love and court intrigue.
In an imagined setting evoking medieval England, King Jameson of Coroa pursues Hollis Brite.
The independent teenager makes Jameson laugh, but she lacks the education and demeanor people expect in a queen. Her friend Delia Grace has more knowledge of history and languages but is shunned due to her illegitimate birth. Hollis gets caught up in a whirl of social activity, especially following an Isolten royal visit. There has been bad blood between the two countries, not fully explained here, and when an exiled Isolten family also comes to court, Jameson generously allows them to stay. Hollis relies on the family to teach her about Isolten customs and secretly falls in love with Silas, the oldest son, even though a relationship with him would mean relinquishing Jameson and the throne. When Hollis learns of political machinations that will affect her future in ways that she abhors, she faces a difficult decision. Romance readers will enjoy the usual descriptions of dresses, jewelry, young love, and discreet kisses, although many characters remain cardboard figures. While the violent climax may be upsetting, the book ends on a hopeful note. Themes related to immigration and young women’s taking charge of their lives don’t quite lift this awkwardly written volume above other royal romances. There are prejudicial references to Romani people, and whiteness is situated as the norm.
Skip this uninspired entry into the world of medieval love and court intrigue. (Historical romance. 13-16)Pub Date: May 5, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-06-229163-9
Page Count: 320
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: Feb. 4, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2020
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by Cassandra Clare ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 6, 2011
A purple page turner.
This sequel to Clockwork Angel (2010) pits gorgeous, attractively broken teens against a menacing evil.
There's betrayal, mayhem and clockwork monstrosities, and the Shadowhunters have only two weeks to discover—oh, who are we kidding? The plot is only surprisingly tasty icing on this cupcake of a melodramatic love triangle. Our heroes are Tessa, who may or may not be a warlock, and the beautiful Shadowhunter warrior boys who are moths to her forbidden flame. It's not always clear why Tessa prefers Will to his beloved (and only) friend Jem, the dying, silver-eyed, biracial sweetheart with the face of an angel. Jem, after all, is gentle and kind, her dearest confidante; Will is unpleasant to everyone around him. But poor, wretched Will—who "would have been pretty if he had not been so tall and so muscular"—has a deep, dark, thoroughly emo secret. His trauma puts all previous romantic difficulties to shame, from the Capulet/Montague feud all the way to Edward Cullen's desire to chomp on Bella Swan. Somehow there's room for an interesting steampunk mystery amid all this angst. The supporting characters (unusually well-developed for a love-triangle romance) include multiple compelling young women who show strength in myriad ways. So what if there are anachronisms, character inconsistencies and weird tonal slips? There's too much overwrought fun to care.
A purple page turner. (Fantasy. 13-16)Pub Date: Dec. 6, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4169-7588-5
Page Count: 528
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2011
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