A stirring entry in a series that’s come into its own.
Jake and Cora return to save the world one more time.
Jake Green has defeated the evil Fenris and his minions twice now, most recently with the help of his friend Cora, a ghost, and Sab, his human best friend. But there’s no rest for the decent: A new secret mission has been given to Jake, involving a traitor in the Embassy of the Dead’s midst. Jake, Cora, and Sab need to figure out where this traitor is, and it should be no sweat considering Jake wears a tooth he discovered in the Eternal Void, a fabled tool he picked up during his last adventure in the Afterworld. But Jake is starting to wonder if he’s got the stomach to keep fighting spooks and monsters for the rest of his days or if maybe there’s another path he could take. Jake’s characterization as a hesitant hero isn’t new to the series, but this time the author wrangles it into something dramatically interesting. Coupling this motif with the series’ humor and scratchy black-and-white illustrations makes this the strongest entry yet, building on its predecessors with effective ease. The laughs are sharp, the pacing is strong, the horror is effective, and the characters continue to impress and evolve.
A stirring entry in a series that’s come into its own. (Horror. 9-12)Pub Date: Oct. 18, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5362-1049-1
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Walker US/Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
For animal lovers, defenders of the environment, and fans of female-powered stories.
A girl and a polar bear forge a unique, loving friendship.
April Wood and her widowed scientist father travel to uninhabited Bear Island in the Arctic, where April’s dad has been commissioned to spend six months studying the effects of global warming on the area. Lonely April hopes to get closer to her distracted father, who still grieves his wife’s loss. Instead, incredibly—as dad had said there were none left—she bonds strongly with the island’s lone, injured polar bear, whom she dubs Bear. How April and Bear become best friends, how she cares for him, learns his ways, and masterminds a harrowing rescue effort to save Bear and deliver him home to Svalbard comprises the bulk of this unusual, amiably written tale. The novel incorporates facts, capably raises awareness about the perils of global warming, and makes a strong case for humans’ negative impact on the Arctic. April is an intelligent, independent, resourceful animal lover who staunchly advocates for the environment. Like-minded readers will relate to her and her desire for positive change in the world—and her yearning for loving relationships. The novel’s conclusion is touching and poignant, but some plot elements strain credulity or feel clichéd, and April’s dad is not a fully realized character. Sparse, unexciting, black-and-white illustrations fail to capture the setting’s grandeur. An author’s note includes information and websites.
For animal lovers, defenders of the environment, and fans of female-powered stories. (Fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Feb. 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-06-304107-3
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Nov. 16, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Ratcheted-up stakes keep readers invested in this rollicking-good sequel.
In this sequel to Maya and the Rising Dark (2020), Maya and her Papa, the orisha Elegguá, are repairing a gigantic tear in the veil, the astral divider between humanity and the Dark.
This exercise is part of Chicago resident Maya’s continuing lessons as a guardian-in-training. Of course, the Lord of Shadows chooses this moment for a vengeful strike in retaliation for the orishas’ killing of his creations, the darkbringers. Maya notices Papa is taking longer to recover than usual; he confesses that ever since the Lord of Shadows held him captive, his strength and powers haven’t quite returned—but he doesn’t know why. During Elegguá’s visit with wise orisha Obatala in the city of Azur, Obatala tells him that the Lord of Shadows took his soul during the battle in which Maya set Elegguá free. Without his soul, Elegguá will slowly die. In the meantime, some of Maya’s schoolmates come into their own godling powers, which causes them internal confusion and their middle school to erupt into chaos—and could lead to celestial chaos as well. Like its predecessor, this volume presents a multicultural universe that centers West African influences; the worldbuilding is developed here in greater detail, with the action picking up later in the novel. Readers are plunged into a continuation of the story with little recap, making knowledge of the first book a necessity.
Ratcheted-up stakes keep readers invested in this rollicking-good sequel. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: Sept. 21, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-358-10632-6
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: July 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2021
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