A vivid parable reminiscent of Francesca Lia Block.
A perpetually airborne girl catapults into a hot dog vendor’s life.
Eggs is not a bird but might as well be. She observes an unnamed metropolis from various perches on high, hopping around the city and occasionally “borrowing” clothes for warmth. One day Eggs (nicknamed because of her public service announcement T-shirt, reminding people to eat two servings a day) catches the eye of Grackle McCart, who runs a wildly popular food cart selling 100 varieties of hot dog. Soon, the two become close: Eggs swoops into Grackle’s life when it suits her, and he provides her with all the hot dogs she can eat. Both Grackle and Splendid Fairy Wren, an aging punk hippie who prefers her own company, are captivated by Eggs’ scattered and winsome charm and build their new friend a nest for cold weather, but a dangerous encounter proves Eggs can never be contained. Author and illustrator Lamb conjures an eccentric and original world of $5 punk hotels and multigenerational hot dog–business families and writes with a fantastical style that leaves readers perpetually wide-eyed in wonder. Characters are illustrated in vivid shades of red, blue, and green amid mostly black-and-white backdrops. Eggs and Wren are White; Grackle is Black.
A vivid parable reminiscent of Francesca Lia Block. (Graphic fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: Nov. 10, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-55152-817-5
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Arsenal Pulp Press
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2020
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
A treat for mystery readers who enjoy being kept in suspense.
Everyone believes that Salil Singh killed his girlfriend, Andrea Bell, five years ago—except Pippa Fitz-Amobi.
Pip has known and liked Sal since childhood; he’d supported her when she was being bullied in middle school. For her senior capstone project, Pip researches the disappearance of former Fairview High student Andie, last seen on April 18, 2014, by her younger sister, Becca. The original investigation concluded with most of the evidence pointing to Sal, who was found dead in the woods, apparently by suicide. Andie’s body was never recovered, and Sal was assumed by most to be guilty of abduction and murder. Unable to ignore the gaps in the case, Pip sets out to prove Sal’s innocence, beginning with interviewing his younger brother, Ravi. With his help, Pip digs deeper, unveiling unsavory facts about Andie and the real reason Sal’s friends couldn’t provide him with an alibi. But someone is watching, and Pip may be in more danger than she realizes. Pip’s sleuthing is both impressive and accessible. Online articles about the case and interview transcripts are provided throughout, and Pip’s capstone logs offer insights into her thought processes as new evidence and suspects arise. Jackson’s debut is well-executed and surprises readers with a connective web of interesting characters and motives. Pip and Andie are white, and Sal is of Indian descent.
A treat for mystery readers who enjoy being kept in suspense. (Mystery. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-9848-9636-0
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2019
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