A wild ride of a debut featuring mystery, murder, and mayhem that will keep readers riveted.
A reality TV competition held on an island located on a mystery planet turns deadly.
Bexley Ryker, Zane Wilder, and Raya Quinn each receive invitations to participate in The Pinnacle, a show involving teamwork, “physical and mental challenges,” and trying to avoid being voted off. For this special 250th season, the 10 contestants will be between ages 16 and 18, and the winner will get both a large sum of money and a full university scholarship. Bex, a wealthy girl from the planet Rikas, wants a fresh start. Zane, whose late father was a prominent politician, needs the money to help his mother. Raya hates her impoverished life on The Moons, where the Gentry control the miners. After everyone arrives on the island, an anonymous provocateur dredges up the skeletons in each of their closets. Allusions to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None abound as the contestants are pitted against one other until they’re unable to distinguish friend from enemy. The chapters rotate among Bex’s, Zane’s and Raya’s first-person points of view, and their limited perspectives boost the impact of the suspenseful revelations. The novel’s unpredictable, action-packed storyline keeps readers guessing until the very end while also challenging the injustices inherent in classist systems. The three leads are cued white, and names suggest some diversity in the supporting cast.
A wild ride of a debut featuring mystery, murder, and mayhem that will keep readers riveted. (Science-fiction thriller. 12-18)Pub Date: May 20, 2025
ISBN: 9780241641576
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Puffin/Penguin Random House UK
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2025
PERSPECTIVES
A suspenseful story that starts off with great promise but fails to deliver.
A teenage girl struggles with the question of whom to trust in the age of social media exposure.
Thanks to Connie’s mom’s family vlog, her life is anything but private. She enjoyed it at first, but now, between the mean comments online and the cruel mockery from peers in real life, Connie feels like she’s in a prison. Her sister, Isla, says it’s worth it for the money, but Connie isn’t sure if that’s really true. Connie’s anger over Mom’s refusal to heed warnings that revealing so much puts them in danger continues to build. When she’s left alone for two weeks while Mom and Isla go on a college road trip, local girls start dying, and a fan reaches out on social media in an unsettling way, leaving Connie worried about her safety. White-presenting Connie’s sense of humor is charming, and her insights will earn readers’ sympathy as the tension builds. As emotions rise, Preston’s poetic language beautifully captures Connie’s feelings about her mom’s obsession with social media and her confusion about who is worthy of her trust. The topics of safety and the uncharted waters of social media are skillfully woven into the plot. However, some inconsistencies weaken the overall story: Apart from Connie, the characters are too lightly developed, and some plot points don’t align with earlier events and motivations, making the ultimate revelation a disappointment.
A suspenseful story that starts off with great promise but fails to deliver. (Thriller. 12-18)Pub Date: Dec. 2, 2025
ISBN: 9798217028009
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Nov. 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2026
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations.
Magic, mystery, and love intertwine and invite in this newest take on the “enchanted circus” trope.
Sisters raised by their abusive father, a governor of a colonial backwater in a world vaguely reminiscent of the late 18th century, Scarlett and Donatella each long for something more. Scarlett, olive-skinned, dark of hair and attitude, longs for Caraval, the fabled, magical circus helmed by the possibly evil Master Legend Santos, while blonde, sunny Tella finds comfort in drink and the embraces of various men. A slightly awkward start, with inconsistencies of attitude and setting, rapidly smooths out when they, along with handsome “golden-brown” sailor Julian, flee to Caraval on the eve of Scarlett’s arranged marriage. Tella disappears, and Scarlett must navigate a nighttime world of magic to find her. Caraval delights the senses: beautiful and scary, described in luscious prose, this is a show readers will wish they could enter. Dresses can be purchased for secrets or days of life; clocks can become doors; bridges move: this is an inventive and original circus, laced with an edge of horror. A double love story, one sensual romance and the other sisterly loyalty, anchors the plot, but the real star here is Caraval and its secrets.
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations. (Fantasy. 14 & up)Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-250-09525-1
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2016
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