A fun page-turner that skillfully explores social inequality.
In a post-apocalyptic world, a teen girl grapples with classism, trust, and the power of stories.
Arca is a spaceship built by a select group of billionaires as the Earth was dying. It’s heading to Eden, the nearest habitable planet, with passengers divided into Citizens, those who hold all the power; Settlers, people under 18 who serve them in exchange for a promise of paradise; and Helpers, the Citizens’ security forces. Shortly before her graduation from the Settlers, 17-year-old Effie discovers an object in the farm soil on Eden that leads her to question the Citizens’ honesty—something that will reshape what Settlers and Helpers think they know about the Citizens and their world. Together with her friends, she must race against the clock as her birthday nears and her future is uncertain to try to uncover the truth and hold the corrupt Citizens accountable. Readers may wish for deeper character development, but this exciting, fast-paced, post-apocalyptic graphic novel tells an engaging story about perseverance and tenacity, friendship and loyalty, truth and lies. The illustrations are reminiscent of vintage comics with their muted color palette and fluid linework. People’s faces are angular and expressive. Characters’ names and physical appearances show an ethnically diverse cast; Effie has tan skin and straight black hair.
A fun page-turner that skillfully explores social inequality. (guide to the Arca, main cast of characters) (Graphic dystopian. 16-adult)Pub Date: July 11, 2023
ISBN: 9781684059980
Page Count: 176
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Review Posted Online: April 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter.
After a Nigerian British girl goes off to an exclusive boarding school that seems to prey on less-privileged students, she discovers there might be some truth behind an urban legend.
Ife Adebola joins the Urban Achievers scholarship program at pricey, high-pressure Nithercott School, arriving shortly after a student called Leon mysteriously disappeared. Gossip says he’s a victim of the glowing-eyed Changing Man who targets the lonely, leaving them changed. Ife doesn’t believe in the myth, but amid the stresses of Nithercott’s competitive, privileged, majority-white environment, where she is constantly reminded of her state school background, she does miss her friends and family. When Malika, a fellow Black scholarship student, disappears and then returns, acting strangely devoid of personality, Ife worries the Changing Man is real—and that she’s next. Ife joins forces with classmate Bijal and Benny, Leon’s younger brother, to uncover the truth about who the Changing Man is and what he wants. Culminating in a detailed, gory, and extended climactic battle, this verbose thriller tempts readers with a nefarious mystery involving racial and class-based violence but never quite lives up to its potential and peters out thematically by its explosive finale. However, this debut offers highly visually evocative and eerie descriptions of characters and events and will appeal to fans of creature horror, social commentary, and dark academia.
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9781250868138
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
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
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