by Susan Waggoner ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 11, 2013
A miss.
A star-crossed (literally) romance plays itself out in London in 2218.
Seventeen-year-old Zee is a gifted empath, someone who is able to heal psychic and physical traumas through the power of thought. Her talents prove to be a liability when she falls in love with a supposed alien whose motives are less than transparent. Realizing that their relationship is impossible, Zee throws herself into her work. Her favorite patient is a 200-year-old woman who possesses some of the titular Neptune’s Tears, priceless diamonds that were harvested by robots on that planet. Zee is called to action during the chaos that results when anarchists try to destroy London with powerful shock bombs. Realizing that she is also telepathic, Zee signs on to be trained as a diviner, which permits her to predict a catastrophic attack and save Earth from certain doom. Her extreme attraction to the supposed alien boy propels her to travel to Southeast Asia for a final fling, hoping to lure him back to live with her. A final surprising plot twist removes the mystery surrounding Zee’s lover but does not serve to ensure their future life together. The premise of the skilled telepathic protagonist is intriguing, but the story is thin, the ending is disappointingly vague, and there are a few too many loose ends to make a satisfying read.
A miss. (Science fiction. 12-17)Pub Date: June 11, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-8050-9677-4
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: April 14, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2013
Share your opinion of this book
by Ransom Riggs ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 7, 2011
A trilogy opener both rich and strange, if heavy at the front end.
Riggs spins a gothic tale of strangely gifted children and the monsters that pursue them from a set of eerie, old trick photographs.
The brutal murder of his grandfather and a glimpse of a man with a mouth full of tentacles prompts months of nightmares and psychotherapy for 15-year-old Jacob, followed by a visit to a remote Welsh island where, his grandfather had always claimed, there lived children who could fly, lift boulders and display like weird abilities. The stories turn out to be true—but Jacob discovers that he has unwittingly exposed the sheltered “peculiar spirits” (of which he turns out to be one) and their werefalcon protector to a murderous hollowgast and its shape-changing servant wight. The interspersed photographs—gathered at flea markets and from collectors—nearly all seem to have been created in the late 19th or early 20th centuries and generally feature stone-faced figures, mostly children, in inscrutable costumes and situations. They are seen floating in the air, posing with a disreputable-looking Santa, covered in bees, dressed in rags and kneeling on a bomb, among other surreal images. Though Jacob’s overdeveloped back story gives the tale a slow start, the pictures add an eldritch element from the early going, and along with creepy bad guys, the author tucks in suspenseful chases and splashes of gore as he goes. He also whirls a major storm, flying bullets and a time loop into a wild climax that leaves Jacob poised for the sequel.
A trilogy opener both rich and strange, if heavy at the front end. (Horror/fantasy. 12-14)Pub Date: June 7, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-59474-476-1
Page Count: 234
Publisher: Quirk Books
Review Posted Online: March 30, 2014
Share your opinion of this book
More In The Series
by Ransom Riggs ; illustrated by Andrew Davidson
More by Ransom Riggs
BOOK REVIEW
by Ransom Riggs ; illustrated by Jim Tierney
BOOK REVIEW
by Ransom Riggs
BOOK REVIEW
by Ransom Riggs ; illustrated by Andrew Davidson
by Ben Philippe ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 8, 2019
Despite some missteps, this will appeal to readers who enjoy a fresh and realistic teen voice.
A teenage, not-so-lonely loner endures the wilds of high school in Austin, Texas.
Norris Kaplan, the protagonist of Philippe’s debut novel, is a hypersweaty, uber-snarky black, Haitian, French-Canadian pushing to survive life in his new school. His professor mom’s new tenure-track job transplants Norris mid–school year, and his biting wit and sarcasm are exposed through his cataloging of his new world in a field guide–style burn book. He’s greeted in his new life by an assortment of acquaintances, Liam, who is white and struggling with depression; Maddie, a self-sacrificing white cheerleader with a heart of gold; and Aarti, his Indian-American love interest who offers connection. Norris’ ego, fueled by his insecurities, often gets in the way of meaningful character development. The scenes showcasing his emotional growth are too brief and, despite foreshadowing, the climax falls flat because he still gets incredible personal access to people he’s hurt. A scene where Norris is confronted by his mother for getting drunk and belligerent with a white cop is diluted by his refusal or inability to grasp the severity of the situation and the resultant minor consequences. The humor is spot-on, as is the representation of the black diaspora; the opportunity for broader conversations about other topics is there, however, the uneven buildup of detailed, meaningful exchanges and the glibness of Norris’ voice detract.
Despite some missteps, this will appeal to readers who enjoy a fresh and realistic teen voice. (Fiction. 13-16)Pub Date: Jan. 8, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-06-282411-0
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Oct. 14, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2018
Share your opinion of this book
More by Ben Philippe
BOOK REVIEW
by Ben Philippe
More About This Book
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.