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9 Reviews
(4)
YA
Fleeing a massive storm in Manhattan, sisters Lilah and Flori take refuge in their family's mountain cabin. Soon, Lilah's specialized lung medication runs out, and they end up in a mysterious research facility. Lilah discovers romance, the truth about her health, and the facility's purpose. Becker's adventure twists and turns, but readers may be confused by the abrupt conclusion.
Reviewer: Jenn Matters
(4)
YA
Korean American teen Jae Hwa thinks moving to South Korea is the worst of her problems; then she learns that, due to a family curse, a dangerous demigod is trying to steal her soul. She must rely on a handsome classmate and her own strength to escape the fate that befell her ancestors. The quick-moving plot sacrifices depth, but the hook keeps readers engaged. Glos.
Reviewer: Siena Leslie
(4)
YA
When Drina's Roma mother dies and her baby half-sister is kidnapped, Drina tries to rescue the infant but winds up in the custody of the affluent Spanish father and grandmother she's never known. Drina's deep passion for flamenco dance and the dangers of a violent time--the 1930 Spanish Civil War--are vividly evoked, but ineffectual, indecisive Drina is a frustrating protagonist.
Reviewer: Katie Bircher
(4)
YA
Translated by Per Carlsson.
Set at summer camp (in Sweden during the 1960s), twelve-year-old Kenny and his friends chafe under the dictatorial guidance of the abusive Matron. Drawing on his deep knowledge of samurai history and culture, Kenny leads his fellow campers to oppose her. Echoes of Holes permeate the story; the tone keeps readers at a distance, possibly because of the translation.
Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt
(4)
YA
Guards of the Shadowlands series.
Having overrun the afterlife, the vampire-like Mazikin invade the human world, and Lela returns to her human life with a new role: Captain of the Guards, charged with eliminating the Mazikin. Despite Lela's unbelievability as Captain, the clash between human and supernatural worlds charges the plot of this second book, and questions about the Mazikin's true endgame opens new ground for future volumes.
Reviewer: Claire E. Gross
(2)
YA
Sixteen-year-old Sep wakes up with white lips, and her pediatrician diagnoses her condition as vitiligo. The rapid progression of the disease is aligned with her developing relationship with classmate Joshua--the vitiligo an impetus for the relationship's whirlwind pace, and her love for Joshua a force that ratchets up Sep's anxiety. Sep's turmoil is poignant, and readers will empathize with her fears and feelings.
Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
September, 2013
(4)
YA
Hannah is only six when an accident leaves her and her friend Becky in the care of a pair of Tasmanian tigers, deep in the bush. That it's only the second half of the novel--after the girls are "rescued"--that becomes preposterous (disguised as a boy, Hannah goes on a whaler) is a testament to Nowra's skillful wilderness writing and distinctive storyteller's voice.
Reviewer: Roger Sutton
(4)
YA
A "dog attack" in Central Park turns musician Sam into a werewolf. Hottie Marlon--member of a prominent werewolf family--mentors her but knows more about the attack than he's saying. While the mystery of who's infecting neighborhood girls and the glimpses of Sam's teen-rock-star lifestyle are both compelling story lines, Sam's passivity regarding her new condition (and particularly her attacker, once revealed) is frustrating.
Reviewer: Katie Bircher
(4)
YA
Heartland Trilogy series.
Cael McAvoy heads up a ground-ridden scavenger gang in a future Midwest where the rich live in floating cities. The poor of the Heartland are treated like cattle by the Empyrean government, which limits their crops to carnivorous, inedible corn and "obligates" their future spouses to them at seventeen. Wendig's dystopia-building is smart, but the jam-packed narrative may slow readers down.
Reviewer: Jenn Matters
9 reviews
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