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
A book that seamlessly brings readers along on a journey of impact and empowerment.
A manifesto for budding feminists.
At the core of this engaging novel are besties Chelsea, who is Irish- and Italian-American and into fashion and beauty, and Jasmine, who is African-American, loves the theater, and pushes back against bias around size (“I don’t need your fake compliments, your pity. I know I’m beautiful. Inside and out”). They and their sidekicks, half-Japanese/half-Lebanese Nadine and Puerto Rican Isaac, grow into first-class activists—simultaneously educating their peers and readers. The year gets off to a rocky start at their progressive, social justice–oriented New York City high school: Along with the usual angst many students experience, Jasmine’s father is terminally ill with cancer, and after things go badly in both their clubs, Jasmine and Chelsea form a women’s rights club which becomes the catalyst for their growth as they explore gender inequality and opportunities for change. This is an inspiring look at two strong-willed teens growing into even stronger young women ready to use their voices and take on the world, imploring budding feminists everywhere to “join the revolution.” The book offers a poetic balance of dialogue among the main characters, their peers, and the adults in their lives. The exquisite pacing, which intersperses everyday teen conflicts with weightier issues, demonstrates how teens long to be heard and taken seriously.
A book that seamlessly brings readers along on a journey of impact and empowerment. (resources for young activists, endnotes) (Fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Feb. 12, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0008-3
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2019
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in.
Black is back with another dark tale of Faerie, this one set in Faerie and launching a new trilogy.
Jude—broken, rebuilt, fueled by anger and a sense of powerlessness—has never recovered from watching her adoptive Faerie father murder her parents. Human Jude (whose brown hair curls and whose skin color is never described) both hates and loves Madoc, whose murderous nature is true to his Faerie self and who in his way loves her. Brought up among the Gentry, Jude has never felt at ease, but after a decade, Faerie has become her home despite the constant peril. Black’s latest looks at nature and nurture and spins a tale of court intrigue, bloodshed, and a truly messed-up relationship that might be the saving of Jude and the titular prince, who, like Jude, has been shaped by the cruelties of others. Fierce and observant Jude is utterly unaware of the currents that swirl around her. She fights, plots, even murders enemies, but she must also navigate her relationship with her complex family (human, Faerie, and mixed). This is a heady blend of Faerie lore, high fantasy, and high school drama, dripping with description that brings the dangerous but tempting world of Faerie to life.
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in. (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-316-31027-7
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Sept. 25, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2017
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