Thrills and fun galore.
A mechanized city harbors a secret.
In the capital city of Oskars, orphan Ever Barnes lives among the gears and levers in the Switchboard Operating Facility, an edifice that can rotate and shift. Instructed by his father (who was brutally murdered), Ever guards a mysterious safe housed within the movable building. Across the city, highborn Hannah, whose father owns the Switchboard, spends her days in comfort. When the two run into each other, she is instantly taken with Ever. They form a friendship and soon find themselves caught up in a vast political conspiracy and in very real danger. This middle-grade steampunk graphic novel features a delightfully constructed world with broad appeal, reading like a remix of Hope Larson and Rebecca Mock’s Four Points series, with a dash of Laura Ruby’s York series and a hint of Brian Selznick’s The Invention of Hugo Cabret (2008). Ying has constructed a thrilling genre-bender that seamlessly blends hot air balloons, a secret society, an assassin’s guild, a giant robot, and political intrigue without ever feeling overloaded. The city of Oskars becomes its own fully formed character as its secrets—like a mysterious map, concealed gears and mechanisms, and a hidden safe—slowly reveal themselves. Ying’s full-color illustrations are cinematic in scope, spotlighting the nonstop action. While Ever and Hannah’s adventures come to a satisfying resolution, more are promised in a later volume. Ever presents white, and Hannah has Asian features.
Thrills and fun galore. (Graphic mystery/fantasy. 7-12)Pub Date: July 28, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-11448-3
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: March 24, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
A moving tale of baseball, magic, and former rivals who come together to solve a problem.
A middle schooler struggles to adjust after moving to an idyllic Massachusetts town.
Trish Das is at a crossroads. Not only is the 12-year-old unhappy that her family has moved yet again due to her mother’s cardiology career, she also has to try out for a new baseball team. The fact that one of her new teammates is a former archrival further complicates matters. Math prodigy Ben Messina went head-to-head against fellow math whiz Trish at last spring’s Math Puzzlers Championship. When Trish emerged victorious, Ben was stunned. The two get closer when the team’s mysterious pregame snacks start making everyone play better while also causing magical side effects during games. Equally surprising are the cryptic puzzle booklets Trish and Ben receive in the mail that lead them to even more wins. But as the puzzles get harder to solve, the risk of failing to do so increases. Alternating between Trish’s and Ben’s perspectives, LaRocca’s novel—a companion to 2019’s Midsummer’s Mayhem—is a Much Ado About Nothing homage that explores parental expectations, complicated friendships, and teamwork. The protagonists’ love of problem-solving shines through, and the puzzles themselves are clearly explained. As a third-generation Indian American, Trish also has moving conversations about the circumstances that led her grandparents to emigrate and how those decisions still impact their lives. Ben is implied White. Final illustrations not seen.
A moving tale of baseball, magic, and former rivals who come together to solve a problem. (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: June 15, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-4998-1101-8
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Yellow Jacket
Review Posted Online: March 30, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An effort as insubstantial as any spirit.
Eleven-year-old Maria Russo helps her charlatan mother hoodwink customers, but Maria has a spirited secret.
Maria’s mother, the psychic Madame Destine, cons widows out of their valuables with the assistance of their apartment building’s super, Mr. Fox. Madame Destine home-schools Maria, and because Destine is afraid of unwanted attention, she forbids Maria from talking to others. Maria is allowed to go to the library, where new librarian Ms. Madigan takes an interest in Maria that may cause her trouble. Meanwhile, Sebastian, Maria’s new upstairs neighbor, would like to be friends. All this interaction makes it hard for Maria to keep her secret: that she is visited by Edward, a spirit who tells her the actual secrets of Madame Destine’s clients via spirit writing. When Edward urges Maria to help Mrs. Fisher, Madame Destine’s most recent mark, Maria must overcome her shyness and her fear of her mother—helping Mrs. Fisher may be the key to the mysterious past Maria uncovers and a brighter future. Alas, picture-book–creator Ford’s middle-grade debut is a muddled, melodramatic mystery with something of an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink feel: In addition to the premise, there’s a tragically dead father, a mysterious family tree, and the Beat poets. Sluggish pacing; stilted, unrealistic dialogue; cartoonishly stock characters; and unattractive, flat illustrations make this one to miss. Maria and Sebastian are both depicted with brown skin, hers lighter than his; the other principals appear to be white.
An effort as insubstantial as any spirit. (author’s note) (Paranormal mystery. 7-10)Pub Date: July 21, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-20567-4
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano/Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
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