(2) YA In this loose retelling of the Greek myth, Icarus Gallagher is a seventeen-year-old art thief. He breaks into Mr. Black's home, steals his art, and replaces it with forgeries by his father, Angus -- largely as revenge for Mr. Black's role in Icarus's mother's death years earlier. This revenge comes at a cost, however. Angus has strict rules that keep Icarus distanced from others, and he isn't the novel's only abusive father. One night, Icarus meets Mr. Black's son, Helios, who is essentially under house arrest. Against Icarus's better judgment, they strike up a friendship, and then a romance -- and then they must face their inner demons as they plot their escape. Written in brief vignettes that hover somewhere between flash fiction and prose poems, the narrative begins as an impressionistic character study of Icarus. Gradually, a plot emerges, many secrets are revealed, suspense builds, and the romantic tension between the characters ratchets up -- all of it enhanced by the vivid prose in this refreshingly succinct novel.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2024

(4) YA When Jack begins having visions of a dangerous world where he is king, his best friend August comes to believe in them, too. The story of the boys' disturbingly intense codependency, quest to save Jack's kingdom, and eventual arrest and institutionalization unfolds in nonlinear micro-chapters interspersed with various mixed-media elements. The effect is appropriately disorienting (is Jack's world an alternate reality, or a hallucination?) but occasionally difficult to parse.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher