An atmospheric but ultimately run-of-the-mill fantasy.
A young woman with a mysterious identity tries to find her place in a magical world.
After 19-year-old Rozalin’s sister and father die and the kingdom of Enhavirre is gripped by a wave of witch burnings, she travels east in search of her deceased mother’s remaining relatives. Along the way, she encounters Ádám, a taciturn hunter who, despite his gruff demeanor, helps her along the journey. Both Rozalin and Ádám harbor secrets and pasts that they’re reluctant to share, but as they travel together, their relationship deepens and becomes increasingly complicated. When they finally reach Zöldgömb, Rozalin’s family’s homeland, they quickly find themselves in danger that’s connected to the past Rozalin left behind. Seeking help, they turn to a young, dark-skinned, golden-eyed woman named Ánizs, who reveals herself to be a witch and a member of a mysterious local coven. Desperate for safety and a place to belong, Rozalin agrees to complete three tasks to prove her worth and earn a place among them “as a witch in name and truth.” As she navigates this new world, Rozalin forms both friendships and rivalries while struggling to define her place in the coven. While the prose is lyrical and evocative in places, the Hungarian-influenced worldbuilding, which evokes a historical European setting and features a largely white-presenting cast, is often confusing and disjointed, making the story difficult to follow.
An atmospheric but ultimately run-of-the-mill fantasy. (glossary) (Fantasy. 15-adult)Pub Date: Sept. 29, 2026
ISBN: 9781785356490
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Our Street Books
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2026
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
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
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