Readers will probably recall the X-Men universe and wish these characters were as well-drawn
This attempt at a teen paranormal-thriller/romance novel is about as satisfying to fans of the genre as a cup of weak herbal tea would be to a thirsty vampire.
Who hasn’t wanted to change places with someone else…someone prettier, smarter, more popular? Tessa can. She’s a Variant, born with a special skill, trained by a special—and very secret—branch of the FBI. Her ability to absorb the DNA of anyone she touches allows her to take on the identity of popular, small-town Madison, the latest victim of a serial killer. Tessa takes her form, and the news of her “survival” is leaked to the press. Using a cover story of amnesia, Tessa assumes Madison’s life. This includes loving parents, an attractive brother, a close best friend, an ex-boyfriend and all the normal activities of high school—something Tessa’s never known and always wanted. It’s not long before Tessa feels more like Madison than herself. But the killer isn’t about to leave her alone, and it’s beginning to look as if this predator may be a Variant, too. There are many undeveloped plotlines that never resolve satisfactorily, and characterization is straight from central casting. Tessa’s first-person narration does little to distinguish itself from the many others of its ilk, beyond a refreshing return to the past tense.
Readers will probably recall the X-Men universe and wish these characters were as well-drawn . (Paranormal thriller. 12 & up)Pub Date: July 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-59514-654-0
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: April 30, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and...
A deliciously creepy page-turning gem from first-time writer and illustrator Brosgol finds brooding teenager Anya trying to escape the past—both her own and the ghost haunting her.
Anya feels out of place at her preppy private school; embarrassed by her Russian heritage, she has worked hard to lose her accent and to look more like everyone else. After a particularly frustrating morning at the bus stop, Anya storms off, only to accidentally fall down a well. Down in the dark hole, she meets Emily, a ghost who claims to be a murder victim trapped down in the dank abyss for 90 years. With Emily’s help, Anya manages to escape, though once free, she learns that Emily has traveled out with her. At first, Emily seems like the perfect friend; however, once her motives become clear, Anya learns that “perfect” may only be an illusion. A moodily atmospheric spectrum of grays washes over the clean, tidy panels, setting a distinct stage before the first words appear. Brosgol’s tight storytelling invokes the chilling feeling of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline (2002), though for a decidedly older set.
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and outward appearance. (Graphic supernatural fiction. 12 & up)Pub Date: June 7, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-59643-552-0
Page Count: 224
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: April 18, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2011
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter.
After a Nigerian British girl goes off to an exclusive boarding school that seems to prey on less-privileged students, she discovers there might be some truth behind an urban legend.
Ife Adebola joins the Urban Achievers scholarship program at pricey, high-pressure Nithercott School, arriving shortly after a student called Leon mysteriously disappeared. Gossip says he’s a victim of the glowing-eyed Changing Man who targets the lonely, leaving them changed. Ife doesn’t believe in the myth, but amid the stresses of Nithercott’s competitive, privileged, majority-white environment, where she is constantly reminded of her state school background, she does miss her friends and family. When Malika, a fellow Black scholarship student, disappears and then returns, acting strangely devoid of personality, Ife worries the Changing Man is real—and that she’s next. Ife joins forces with classmate Bijal and Benny, Leon’s younger brother, to uncover the truth about who the Changing Man is and what he wants. Culminating in a detailed, gory, and extended climactic battle, this verbose thriller tempts readers with a nefarious mystery involving racial and class-based violence but never quite lives up to its potential and peters out thematically by its explosive finale. However, this debut offers highly visually evocative and eerie descriptions of characters and events and will appeal to fans of creature horror, social commentary, and dark academia.
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9781250868138
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
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