A well-told sequel for YA fantasy fans.
The second installment of a young-adult fantasy trilogy features a powerful young girl making hard choices.
In the multiverse of Savage’s (First Timer, 2012) book, there are a few gifted people, called Transcenders, who can instantly jump from world to world. Jaden Beckett is one of them, and she wants to return to her own world, Domerica, where she is the crown princess and engaged to Ryder Blackthorn, the handsome new chief of the Unicoi people. This isn’t an easy life to choose, however; while she was absent from the country, and presumed dead—her Transcender status is a secret—her Uncle Harold, the Lord High Steward of Domerica, began scheming to take over the throne as Jaden’s mother, the queen, fought leukemia. Meanwhile, Ryder,who believed Jaden dead, took up with another woman, whose beauty Jaden finds threatening. (Perhaps the author’s best moments are Ryder and Jaden’s thwarted attempts to spend time with each other—a subtle commentary on premarital sex.) The book portrays the ins and outs of Domerican politics, including Uncle Harold’s odd insistence on using resources to build a wall around the Unicoi village instead of building houses for Ryder’s people, and Jaden finds that something mysterious is happening to the multiverse’s governing body. Jaden takes the situation in stride with a maturity beyond her years, consulting her advisers without hesitation and listening to what they have to say. Savage lets Jaden narrate this compelling story, and readers of the trilogy’s first book will find it an exceptional read. However, those dropping into the trilogy for the first time will likely want to start with the first book, which provides considerable back story. A neat twist at the end of this book will likely make readers wonder about the villain’s identity and want to see what will happen in book three.
A well-told sequel for YA fantasy fans.Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2013
ISBN: 978-0985901929
Page Count: 426
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: March 8, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
An enjoyable picture book that addresses important issues in a kid-friendly way without being preachy.
Willenbrock’s heartwarming debut picture book is the autobiographical story of how she came to share her home with a special shelter dog.
Told from the perspective of Marshall, Willenbrock’s dog, this tale tells of his unpleasant life in the home of a dog hoarder, where food for the dogs was so scarce that they fought each other at mealtime. In one of these fights, Marshall’s front leg was broken and his face was badly bitten. When animal rescuers finally found out about the animal hoarder and took the dogs away, Marshall was in such sorry shape that they didn’t know if he would make it. He ended up losing his damaged front leg and his face remained badly scarred, yet he describes the compassion of the humane society workers who helped him learn how to walk and run on three legs. He meets his new “mom” (owner) and adjusts to a life of freedom with her and her other dog, Mooshy. Though life is good, Marshall is insecure and nervous about how other dogs and people will react to the fact that he has only three legs and a big scar on his face, but he’s pleasantly surprised by the kindness of others. Heimbaugh’s realistic colored-pencil illustrations help bring Marshall’s story to life. Due to wordiness and the use of some bigger words—celebrity, socialize, limitations—this book will most likely work better as a read-aloud with school-age children. It also lends itself to discussions about the humane treatment of animals and discussions about bullying.
An enjoyable picture book that addresses important issues in a kid-friendly way without being preachy.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0615666259
Page Count: 40
Publisher: The Marshall Movement
Review Posted Online: Oct. 9, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Unanswered questions and heavy-handed writing drain intrigue from this not-so-spooky story.
Three friends unravel old secrets lurking beneath the surface of a picture-perfect town in this young adult mystery.
Fallon and her best friend, Blair, live in the town of Whitford, a “sort of old fashioned” place where “everyone knows everyone else.” Nothing ever goes wrong there, except for local 16-year-old girls’ penchant for drowning in Whitford Pond on their 16th birthdays. That is, nothing ever goes wrong until Blair, Fallon and their new friend Lila start investigating the drownings as part of a history project. Soon after the girls paddle out to the spooky island at the middle of the pond where its victims are buried, Fallon discovers that she’s related to the pond’s first victim: Elizabeth Mason, who was engaged to the prosperous son of the town jeweler before her supposed suicide in 1750. By poking around the town historical society and badgering Fallon’s lively grandmother, Nana, the girls realize that something sinister lurks beneath Whitford’s bucolic surface. It’s only when the trio heads to the fourth floor of Whitford’s public library in search of A Genealogy of the Noble Families of Whitford: A History that they realize their quest is putting them in danger. Blair and Fallon’s friendship feels comfortable and credible, although the addition of “exotic” Lila seems like a strained plot device rather than a real-life event. Indeed, much of the plotting is convenient rather than clever; the girls’ discoveries primarily result from pushing Nana to give them information or snooping around Nana’s house—and the developments that aren’t related to Nana are foreshadowed so heavily that they come as no surprise. Another distraction: Every time that the inhabitants of Whitford scream or emphasize a turn of phrase, Fredo uses capital letters. They’re are unnecessary, for example, when Fallon says, “I JUST HAD THE BEST IDEA EVER!”
Unanswered questions and heavy-handed writing drain intrigue from this not-so-spooky story.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 172
Publisher: iUniverse
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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