Gripping.
An executioner guards her emotions and her heart in this thrilling series opener that returns to the dystopian world of Mafi’s bestselling Shatter Me series.
Twenty-year-old Rosabelle Wolff lives a meager existence, exiled on Ark Island, the site of what remains of The Reestablishment’s totalitarian state. She scrapes by, working as a contract killer in order to keep Clara, her ailing younger sister, alive. Rosabelle’s stoicism is her defense against the invasive technology that feeds The Reestablishment’s ever-watching “omnipotent, synthetic brain.” With her sister’s survival in jeopardy, Rosabelle consents to a mission that sends her after James Anderson. James was 11 when his elder brother led the resistance that overthrew The Reestablishment, which their father cofounded. More than 10 years later, James is determined to do what his brother couldn’t—infiltrate Ark Island, the regime’s “last refuge,” to uncover its secrets. Rosabelle wrestles with her emotions, torn between her duty to her sister, her hatred of the government, and her growing attraction to James. Mafi incorporates surveillance and artificial intelligence into her realistically drawn world that’s filled with political intrigue. Rosabelle’s and James’ alternating first-person narration fills in the backstory for new readers. The balance between the suspense and dramatic action sequences feels cinematic, and the slow-burn romance shimmers beneath the darker, trauma-tinged themes of mental health, sinister applications of biotechnology, and food insecurity. The leads are cued white, and there’s ethnic diversity among the supporting characters.
Gripping. (Dystopian. 14-adult)Pub Date: April 15, 2025
ISBN: 9780063419001
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Storytide/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: April 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A contemporary hero’s journey, brilliantly told.
The 17-year-old son of a troubled rock star is determined to find his own way in life and love.
On the verge of adulthood, Blade Morrison wants to leave his father’s bad-boy reputation for drug-and-alcohol–induced antics and his sister’s edgy lifestyle behind. The death of his mother 10 years ago left them all without an anchor. Named for the black superhero, Blade shares his family’s connection to music but resents the paparazzi that prevent him from having an open relationship with the girl that he loves. However, there is one secret even Blade is unaware of, and when his sister reveals the truth of his heritage during a bitter fight, Blade is stunned. When he finally gains some measure of equilibrium, he decides to investigate, embarking on a search that will lead him to a small, remote village in Ghana. Along the way, he meets people with a sense of purpose, especially Joy, a young Ghanaian who helps him despite her suspicions of Americans. This rich novel in verse is full of the music that forms its core. In addition to Alexander and co-author Hess’ skilled use of language, references to classic rock songs abound. Secondary characters add texture to the story: does his girlfriend have real feelings for Blade? Is there more to his father than his inability to stay clean and sober? At the center is Blade, fully realized and achingly real in his pain and confusion.
A contemporary hero’s journey, brilliantly told. (Verse fiction. 14-adult)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-310-76183-9
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Blink
Review Posted Online: April 30, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2017
PERSPECTIVES
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