For the win, indeed!
A young genius embarks on a hero’s quest.
Travis Daventhorpe is very smart. Despite his high IQ, however, he has difficulty making friends and is bullied by the odious Derek Devers. He decides to befriend the new girl, plum-tressed Juniper Reyes, an intellectual equal who exudes cool but does not share Travis’ overwhelming intensity. One night, while taking his science fair project, the Travbot, on a test flight, he crashes in the woods near his home and discovers a familiar-looking sword in a stone. Travis meets mage Belazar, who tells him that he, Travis, is the prophesied Hero of Solusterra who will conquer the nefarious Dark Emperor, Nol Invictus. When dimensions collide at Travis’ science fair will he, Juniper, and Belazar be able to foil Nol’s insidious, destructive plot? This first series entry from debut author Molebash is bursting with a ferociously delightful vibrancy, likable characters, swift pacing, fun pop-culture nods, an appealing gaming slant, and vibrant full-color illustrations. With equal measures of zippy antics and action, fans of series like Hilo and Zita the Spacegirl should feel right at home. While the tale may cover well-trodden hero tropes, an unexpected twist will leave readers gasping, whetting appetites for what comes next. Travis and Derek are White; Juniper is Latina, and Belazar is Black.
For the win, indeed! (map, player guide, bonus story, artistic process how-to) (Graphic science fiction. 7-12)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-250-80140-1
Page Count: 288
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An action-packed fantasy containing a surprising twist.
An old curse and untapped magic lead a boy on a worldwide quest to save his aunt.
Ever since 13-year-old Shinji Takahashi’s parents died, he and his Aunt Yui have lived a life that includes months of travels, hunting for unique items for her shop in Miami. While floating down the Zambezi River, Shinji comes upon a mysterious shop with a small figurine of a Coatl, or mythical feathered serpent, that seems to be calling to him. But after he buys it, Shinji is kidnapped and held captive by the Hightower Corporation in New York City. Aunt Yui is nowhere to be seen—and the Coatl figurine has transformed itself into a tattoo on Shinji’s arm. A Hightower villain informs him that it brings with it a deadly curse. Meanwhile, young prodigy Lucy, who has been working for the corporation, appears in Shinji’s room in the middle of the night: After overhearing Hightower’s evil plans for him, she decides to help him break out. Lucy suggests reaching out to the Society of Explorers and Adventurers, Hightower’s archrivals, for help returning the Coatl to its original temple and finding Shinji’s aunt. This intriguing venture builds to a compelling climax. One question that remains unanswered is why Japanese American Shinji, who has no Mesoamerican heritage, is chosen by the Coatl to be its rescuer; perhaps this will be resolved in the next entry in this new series.
An action-packed fantasy containing a surprising twist. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: April 5, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-368-06819-2
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Jan. 10, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2022
Wholesome shading to bland, but well-stocked with exotic creatures and locales, plus an agreeable cast headed by a child...
A San Diego preteen learns that she’s an elf, with a place in magic school if she moves to the elves’ hidden realm.
Having felt like an outsider since a knock on the head at age 5 left her able to read minds, Sophie is thrilled when hunky teen stranger Fitz convinces her that she’s not human at all and transports her to the land of Lumenaria, where the ageless elves live. Taken in by a loving couple who run a sanctuary for extinct and mythical animals, Sophie quickly gathers friends and rivals at Foxfire, a distinctly Hogwarts-style school. She also uncovers both clues to her mysterious origins and hints that a rash of strangely hard-to-quench wildfires back on Earth are signs of some dark scheme at work. Though Messenger introduces several characters with inner conflicts and ambiguous agendas, Sophie herself is more simply drawn as a smart, radiant newcomer who unwillingly becomes the center of attention while developing what turn out to be uncommonly powerful magical abilities—reminiscent of the younger Harry Potter, though lacking that streak of mischievousness that rescues Harry from seeming a little too perfect. The author puts her through a kidnapping and several close brushes with death before leaving her poised, amid hints of a higher destiny and still-anonymous enemies, for sequels.
Wholesome shading to bland, but well-stocked with exotic creatures and locales, plus an agreeable cast headed by a child who, while overly fond of screaming, rises to every challenge. (Fantasy. 10-12)Pub Date: Oct. 2, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4424-4593-2
Page Count: 496
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: July 17, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2012
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