An uneven novel that is as flawed as its protagonist.
A rich teen hopes that participating in a reality TV show set on an uninhabited Brazilian island can rehabilitate her damaged reputation.
Twenty teens are dropped on deserted Black Rock Island, where they will compete in two teams for a cash prize and the chance to find a long-lost stolen Inca treasure. Riley Ozment knows all about the treasure, as her godfather was the last hunter to get close to discovering it—in fact, she visited the island with him shortly before he was murdered. She sees this trip as a chance to prove herself to the world after a series of mistakes led to her suspension from her private school and the very public humiliating fallout when she tried to defend herself. But Riley’s plans are upended by back-stabbing, double-crossing, mysterious accidents, and her own inner demons. This thriller mixes the ins and outs of filming a reality show with a mystery, a side of romance, developing friendships, and, above all, Riley’s journey of self-discovery. However, the convergence of all these disparate storylines doesn’t form a cohesive whole, and the supporting characters are not as well developed as the protagonist. Interestingly, Riley is unlikable for her naïveté about her privileged background but still sympathetic as a teen girl finding her place in the world. Riley is assumed White; other competitors are described as being “Indian, African American, [and] Asian.”
An uneven novel that is as flawed as its protagonist. (map) (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72822-232-5
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
Lackluster.
Lizzie Borden’s story gets a contemporary reimagining.
Sisters Charlotte and Maddi grieve for their deceased mother. They were told her heart stopped, but they find that suspicious. To make matters worse, Amber, their mother’s young personal assistant, is now dating their dad and wearing their mother’s jewelry. When Maddi uncovers poison in their house, the siblings start to question whether their dad and Amber had something to do with their mother’s death. They share their worries with Uncle Jake, their mom’s brother, and new student Lana seeks Charlotte’s friendship and offers to help as well. However, Charlotte and Maddi soon learn the only ones they can truly trust and rely on are each other, and drastic measures may be warranted. Readers familiar with the true Borden story will know that murder is coming, but this novel’s focus is on the mindsets and emotions of the sisters as their grief turns to anger and rage. Short chapters shift between Charlotte’s and Maddi’s narratives. Charlotte in particular feels like an unreliable narrator, as she constantly questions and contradicts herself, which will make readers question her mental state. The story has all the trimmings of a slow-burn psychological thriller, but the straightforward, repetitive text is dull while the twists and turns are obvious and lack shock value or are simply not believable. Main characters are assumed White.
Lackluster. (author’s note, resources) (Psychological thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Jan. 4, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-37552-5
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
Dynamically reckons with the real-life ramifications of someone who refuses to grow up.
A grim, modern-day manifestation of the Peter Pan tale drawn from subtle, dark elements in the original text.
Wendy Darling is a sweet, naïve 17-year-old who just moved to Chicago. One night, Peter Pan comes through her open window, expecting an empty house and instead becoming enamored with the girl inside. Wendy herself is immediately enchanted by Peter, whose boyish charm and good looks convince her to join him for a night on the town along with his spunky and snappy ex-girlfriend Tinkerbelle. During the course of a single night, Wendy runs into more of Peter’s connections, including a collection of orphans he houses off the grid, a Detective Hook eager to bring him down, and other counterparts from the source material (including the racist caricature of a Native girl, gracefully realized here as a three-dimensional young Ojibwe woman). But as the night goes on and Peter’s facade grows more transparent, the frightful truth at his center threatens the safety of everyone involved. Eschewing literal magic, Ancrum’s remix is spellbinding and psychologically compelling despite a slower-moving middle. The haunting truth surrounding Peter is well earned and disturbing, a perfect—and bleak—transformation of the character for the 21st century. Wendy is Black, Peter and Tink are White, and the supporting cast represents myriad racial and queer identities.
Dynamically reckons with the real-life ramifications of someone who refuses to grow up. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: June 22, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-26526-5
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Imprint
Review Posted Online: April 29, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2021
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