A multilayered and well-told paranormal thriller with strong character and plot development.
A teenager investigates why so many residents in her Colorado town report alien abductions in this YA SF/romance novel.
For a small town, Dawson certainly has a high number of people attending Alien Abductees Anonymous meetings. They have similar stories: waking up unable to move in a bare, white room; sadistic poking and prodding; triangular-headed beings. Dutch Indonesian Cassidy Roekiem, a high school senior, is skeptical, but she’s had odd experiences like those of the support group, including losing two hours of her life and having flashbacks. As Cassidy makes contact with others who’ve had comparable flashbacks, she grows closer to handsome Hayden McGraw, who’s hiding his own link to aliens. Meanwhile, she’s looking into the so-called wellness resort Eden Estate, where her mother, Nina, has been staying since her research for a book on the 1985 vanishing of the president’s daughter, Jane Flanagan, turned into an obsession and breakdown. Alarmed by many red flags at Eden, Cassidy is determined to spring Nina by finding Flanagan herself. With the help of friends, Cassidy investigates the case—becoming embroiled in several dangerous secrets, including the connections among Eden Estate, Flanagan, and the CIA’s top-secret Parallax Human Intervention Unit. In her latest YA novel, Barneveld offers a cleverly constructed plot, letting readers in on much that Cassidy doesn’t know while still springing an unexpected development late in the tale that adds an intriguing complication. Cassidy’s an engaging character, tenacious, smart, and linguistically gifted; her facility in American Sign Language comes in handy. Also blending in well with the overall story is the romance between Cassidy and Hayden, which gains an extra dimension to the usual angst-y teen passion because of his secret life and its expectations.
A multilayered and well-told paranormal thriller with strong character and plot development.Pub Date: Aug. 10, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-68-281573-1
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Review Posted Online: Aug. 24, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A delightfully autumnal small-town romance buoyed by strong characterization.
Ellis Mitchell has her whole life planned out.
Heading into senior year, Ellis plans to study hard and crush it at the journalism internship her media executive dad got her, paving the way for her acceptance to Columbia University. But then Ellis’ parents announce they’re separating—and that Ellis and her mom will be heading to Bramble Falls to stay with her aunt and cousin. Furious that her careful plans have been upended, Ellis struggles to settle into the small, charming Connecticut town even as everyone around her gears up for the annual Falling Leaves Festival. Ellis runs into Cooper Barnett—her long-ago summer friend from visits to Aunt Naomi and cousin Sloane—who’s grown up to be very handsome. But Cooper isn’t pleased to see Ellis; he’s cold and curt, and she has no idea why. Wilson’s YA debut is chock-full of charm. Readers will swoon at Cooper’s and Ellis’ developing feelings following their frosty reunion and sympathize with Ellis’ difficulties even as Bramble Falls grows on her. She must choose between small-town community ties and big-city ambitions—between what her dad wants for her and what she really wants. Ellis’ relationships with her mom, aunt, and cousin are lovely and aspirational. The depiction of Bramble Falls is evocative, and the book contains enough seasonal delights to satisfy even the most devoted pumpkin spice latte lover. Main characters are cued white.
A delightfully autumnal small-town romance buoyed by strong characterization. (Romance. 13-18)Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2025
ISBN: 9781665975209
Page Count: 352
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: June 13, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.
The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.
Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798987380406
Page Count: 538
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
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