A heist, a talisman, a shrine, and an abundance of faith lead to greatness in this consistently engaging action-adventure...
In Kramer’s YA fantasy novel, two lifelong friends embark on an epic quest that forces them to confront their destinies.
“Fulgar Geth could heal with his fingertips,” reveals the narrator in the opening line of this prequel to the Heroes of Time Legends series. Eight-year-old Fulgar has a power that he doesn’t fully understand. Because he can heal injuries with a touch, and also manipulate magnetism to affect metal, his best friend, Binny, says that he’s cursed, but “in a good way”—the result of a mage using magic to save Fulgar when he was born. Nothing in Fulgar’s life of poverty has convinced him that he’s fated for greater things, and by the age of 17, he’s become a thief who, along with Binny, is living on the streets. Binny, meanwhile, is preoccupied with a talisman that he took from his uncle’s place, which could lead him and Fulgar to a fabled shrine of ancient power. They set out on their journey, but Fulgar, who’s skeptical, is just along for the ride as Binny does “What he does best: mischief.” When they eventually find themselves on the opposite sides of a great power, it puts the limits of their friendship and faith to the test. As the story goes on, the concept of healing comes have multiple meanings, as Fulgar must not only heal physical traumas, but also emotional and spiritual ones. It’s a lot for a YA fantasy tale to shoulder, but Kramer has created an exciting, swashbuckling world for his characters to navigate. Throughout, the dialogue keeps the action grounded: “Don’t lose the forest for the trees, mate,” says Binny to Fulgar at one point. The sword-fighting sequences boast elegant choreography that leaps right off the page. The story takes on a more solemn tone as Fulgar and Binny grapple with their destinies, but for lovers of magic and feel-good adventure stories, this prequel offers a welcoming world for them to explore.
A heist, a talisman, a shrine, and an abundance of faith lead to greatness in this consistently engaging action-adventure tale.Pub Date: May 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781955997171
Page Count: 273
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: June 14, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This grittily provocative debut explores the horrors of self-harm and the healing power of artistic expression.
After surviving a suicide attempt, a fragile teen isn't sure she can endure without cutting herself.
Seventeen-year-old Charlie Davis, a white girl living on the margins, thinks she has little reason to live: her father drowned himself; her bereft and abusive mother kicked her out; her best friend, Ellis, is nearly brain dead after cutting too deeply; and she's gone through unspeakable experiences living on the street. After spending time in treatment with other young women like her—who cut, burn, poke, and otherwise hurt themselves—Charlie is released and takes a bus from the Twin Cities to Tucson to be closer to Mikey, a boy she "like-likes" but who had pined for Ellis instead. But things don't go as planned in the Arizona desert, because sweet Mikey just wants to be friends. Feeling rejected, Charlie, an artist, is drawn into a destructive new relationship with her sexy older co-worker, a "semifamous" local musician who's obviously a junkie alcoholic. Through intense, diarylike chapters chronicling Charlie's journey, the author captures the brutal and heartbreaking way "girls who write their pain on their bodies" scar and mar themselves, either succumbing or surviving. Like most issue books, this is not an easy read, but it's poignant and transcendent as Charlie breaks more and more before piecing herself back together.
This grittily provocative debut explores the horrors of self-harm and the healing power of artistic expression. (author’s note) (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-101-93471-5
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2016
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