A sprawling novel that, despite its huge cast, may charm fans of contemporary romance.
A debut novel that follows the ups and downs of a British rock band, on the charts and in their lives.
Astrid, just a teenager, has already done enough jet setting. Raised in Canada and whisked to Australia, she’s later dragged back home by her overbearing father after her mother dies. She makes a host of friends, and the center of this new family is Dandy, a beautiful free spirit who meets a group of young musicians in London. Dandy falls in love with guitarist Mac, while Astrid falls for Kenny, a soulful singer who’s also wild about her. Mac’s already a successful solo musician when he decides to form a new band, The Midnight All Stars, with Kenny and several others. Dandy and Mac marry and struggle to start a family despite Mac’s hectic tour schedule. Astrid and Kenny also have a child but eschew marriage. The band’s popularity soars, and a tour stop in Germany turns into a dangerous mob scene. As the drama of the band continues—a drummer in rehab, a useless tour manager—their dramatic personal lives keep pace. Astrid pursues filmmaking and is seduced by movie mogul Alister, whom she marries in what her loved ones fear is a fit of insanity. Dandy, meanwhile, is torn among her blossoming career as a novelist, the demands of her children and the constant loneliness of having a husband on the road. The novel’s greatest distraction is its sheer population, as readers meet 23 characters in the first 50 pages, with dozens more to follow. Readers may find themselves constantly flipping back to remember, for example, who Julia’s husband is or how many sisters Dandy has. The plot’s many twists, including the introduction of a long-lost nephew, only adds to the confusion. The strongest relationship in the book is Dandy and Mac’s, whose deep love and affection comes through clearly on every page; it would be satisfying to follow their marriage alone, but the chapters switch between Dandy’s and Kenny’s points of view, making for an overwhelming tale. Determined readers, however, will be rewarded with warm portraits of love—between friends, lovers, partners, parents, children and band mates.
A sprawling novel that, despite its huge cast, may charm fans of contemporary romance.Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2011
ISBN: 978-1466397927
Page Count: 652
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: June 17, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.
A fifth-grade New Orleans girl discovers a mysterious chrysalis containing an unexpected creature in this middle-grade novel.
Jacquelyn Marie Johnson, called Jackie, is a 10-year-old African-American girl, the second oldest and the only girl of six siblings. She’s responsible, smart, and enjoys being in charge; she likes “paper dolls and long division and imagining things she had never seen.” Normally, Jackie has no trouble obeying her strict but loving parents. But when her potted snapdragon acquires a peculiar egg or maybe a chrysalis (she dubs it a chrysalegg), Jackie’s strong desire to protect it runs up against her mother’s rule against plants in the house. Jackie doesn’t exactly mean to lie, but she tells her mother she needs to keep the snapdragon in her room for a science project and gets permission. Jackie draws the chrysalegg daily, waiting for something to happen as it gets larger. When the amazing creature inside breaks free, Jackie is more determined than ever to protect it, but this leads her further into secrets and lies. The results when her parents find out are painful, and resolving the problem will take courage, honesty, and trust. Dumas (Jaden Toussaint, the Greatest: Episode 5, 2017, etc.) presents a very likable character in Jackie. At 10, she’s young enough to enjoy playing with paper dolls but has a maturity that even older kids can lack. She’s resourceful, as when she wants to measure a red spot on the chrysalegg; lacking calipers, she fashions one from her hairpin. Jackie’s inward struggle about what to obey—her dearest wishes or the parents she loves—is one many readers will understand. The book complicates this question by making Jackie’s parents, especially her mother, strict (as one might expect to keep order in a large family) but undeniably loving and protective as well—it’s not just a question of outwitting clueless adults. Jackie’s feelings about the creature (tender and responsible but also more than a little obsessive) are similarly shaded rather than black-and-white. The ending suggests that an intriguing sequel is to come.
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943169-32-0
Page Count: 212
Publisher: Plum Street Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.
In the ninth book in the Bluford young-adult series, a young Latino man walks away from violence—but at great personal cost.
In a large Southern California city, 16-year-old Martin Luna hangs out on the fringes of gang life. He’s disaffected, fatherless and increasingly drawn into the orbit of the older, rougher Frankie. When a stray bullet kills Martin’s adored 8-year-old brother, Huero, Martin seems to be heading into a life of crime. But Martin’s mother, determined not to lose another son, moves him to another neighborhood—the fictional town of Bluford, where he attends the racially diverse Bluford High. At his new school, the still-grieving Martin quickly makes enemies and gets into trouble. But he also makes friends with a kind English teacher and catches the eye of Vicky, a smart, pretty and outgoing Bluford student. Martin’s first-person narration supplies much of the book’s power. His dialogue is plain, but realistic and believable, and the authors wisely avoid the temptation to lard his speech with dated and potentially embarrassing slang. The author draws a vivid and affecting picture of Martin’s pain and confusion, bringing a tight-lipped teenager to life. In fact, Martin’s character is so well drawn that when he realizes the truth about his friend Frankie, readers won’t feel as if they are watching an after-school special, but as though they are observing the natural progression of Martin’s personal growth. This short novel appears to be aimed at urban teens who don’t often see their neighborhoods portrayed in young-adult fiction, but its sophisticated characters and affecting story will likely have much wider appeal.
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2004
ISBN: 978-1591940173
Page Count: 152
Publisher: Townsend Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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