Renée’s story is romantic, suspenseful and far from over. A solid read, this one will leave readers wanting more.
Renée Winters knows about the Undead: Her soul mate, Dante, has been Undead for years.
But having been saved by Dante at the end of the series opener (Dead Beautiful, 2010), Renée is left to wonder whether she too is now one of the Undead. Renée is sent to Montreal to protect her after a series of attacks at Gottfried Academy. At St. Clément, the curriculum is designed to train students as Monitors, who police the Undead and prevent them from murdering humans. Knowing that Dante only has five more years of animation before he will need to either take a life or die a second time, Renée searches the school’s library and mystical texts for a solution. Following clues left by the school’s founders, she’s trailed by Noah, a fellow Monitor who would like to be more than just a friend. But for Renée, this isn’t a romantic lark or a quick trip into the history of a charming city; it’s a race against time. Her body is changing, the effect of Dante’s life-saving kiss. And both are pursued by The Brotherhood, an order of Undead dedicated to extending their own existence at all costs. Renée's narration takes readers through the twisting streets of Montreal, effectively drawing them into her distress over Dante, boarding-school psychodrama and the world of the Undead.
Renée’s story is romantic, suspenseful and far from over. A solid read, this one will leave readers wanting more. (Paranormal romance. 13 & up)Pub Date: Jan. 24, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4231-1957-9
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Nov. 8, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2011
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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