A world and story both excitingly alien and pleasingly familiar.
Ariadne weaves a new tale in a historically rich reworking of Theseus and the Minotaur.
Fifteen-year-old Ariadne leads a sheltered life in the Minos’ palace on Krete ("Minos" is title, not name). Per tradition, she trains to succeed her mother and become the Goddess incarnate responsible for continuing the family line and ensuring the island’s harvest. Saddled with obligations—and the unwieldy name of She-Who-Will-Be-Goddess—Ariadne soon encounters a boy who questions her beliefs and way of life. Trading off chapters with Ariadne, Theseus offers a glimpse of a wider but equally harsh world. Part of the Athenians’ tribute, Theseus has recently discovered his royal parentage, only to be sent to Krete as fodder for the fabled “Minotauros,” Ariadne’s simple-minded, deformed and bullishly strong brother, Asterion. Theseus’ fellow tribute, the beautiful and manipulative Prokris, also threatens to subvert the Goddess-led system and install a male monarch. Bucking the trend of torrid retellings, Barrett (King of Ithaka, 2010) focuses more on history than romance. Food, politics and clothing are described in ornate detail, and the formal language—if a bit stilted—lends the tale gravitas. While mythological characters appear in abundance—Medea makes a surprising cameo and gets an unexpected redemption—the gods are presented as religion rather than reality.
A world and story both excitingly alien and pleasingly familiar. (Historical fiction. 12 & up)Pub Date: Sept. 19, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-58132-3
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
Exactly what the title promises.
A grieving teen’s devotion to romance films might ruin her chances at actual romance.
Liz Buxbaum has always adored rom-coms, not least for helping her still feel close to her screenwriter mother, who died when she was little. Liz hopes that her senior year might turn into a real-life romantic fantasy, as an old crush has moved back to town, cuter and nicer than ever. Surely she can get Michael to ask her to prom. If only Wes, the annoying boy next door, would help her with her scheming! This charming, fluffy concoction manages to pack into one goofy plot every conceivable trope, from fake dating to the makeover to the big misunderstanding. Creative, quirky, daydreaming Liz is just shy of an annoying stereotype, saved by a dry wit and unresolved grief and anger. Wes makes for a delightful bad boy with a good heart, and supporting characters—including a sassy best friend, a perfect popular rival, even a (not really) evil stepmother—all get the opportunity to transcend their roles. The only villain here is Liz’s lovelorn imagination, provoking her into foolish lies that cause actual hurt feelings; but she is sufficiently self-aware to make amends just in time for the most important trope of all: a blissfully happy ending. All characters seem to be White by default.
Exactly what the title promises. (Romance. 12-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-6762-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
