(1) 4-6 Moonwind Mysteries series. Translated by Eva Apelqvist. Rundberg's pair of 1880s detectives -- twelve-year-old orphan Mika from Stockholm's Public Children's Home and police detective Valdemar Hoff -- investigate the disappearance of a wealthy family's teenage daughter, Beatrice. "Children disappear all the time," says Mika, hearing of the case; Valdemar's answer, "I hardly need to tell you that some lives are valued more than others," voices a theme inherent in the series' earlier books, but that here takes on deeper, darker meaning. The pair realizes that Beatrice is pregnant and hiding from her parents, who want to dispose of the unwanted baby by sending Beatrice to the "Dark Angel" when it's time to give birth. Rundberg brings the Moonwind Mysteries full circle: the Dark Angel, having haunted the series from its first pages, emerges from the shadows as a person for whom "the unthinkable [has] become a habit." In a "brilliant...not to mention insanely dangerous" plan, Mika and Valdemar close in on the villain. This entry -- like the previous installments (beginning with The Night Raven, rev. 9/23) -- is exceptional: for its dry, witty humor and compelling plot; its characterizations, at once engaging and deeply respectful (Mika is indomitable: perceptive, adamant, compassionate, and vulnerable); and especially for the gravitas at the heart of its crime solving, an awareness of a deep inequity that resonates well beyond the stories' historical and geographical setting. Swedish noir for the young.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Matt Schu. Salerni (The Carrefour Curse, rev. 3/23) creates a feisty puzzle mystery with a hearty dollop of humor in this intriguing novel. The Precipice Inn welcomes three elderly guests and their families, who have gathered to dissolve, by mutual agreement, the Carbon County Tontine, the contract awarding a vast fortune to the last survivor. Eleven-year-old orphan Nico Lombardi -- overworked bellhop of the Precipice Inn ever since his grandfather died there, saddling him with the tremendous debt of their stay -- needs money to escape his Dickensian servitude and has regretfully turned to a life of crime, pilfering valuables from hotel guests. Unfortunately, the lawyer holding the tontine hasn't yet arrived, and the other guests begin to reveal (to readers, if not to one another) varying degrees of deceit. Whose misdirected luggage contained a set of lock picks? Who has been sneaking around the inn at night? Why does feeble Mr. Ames seem sprightlier in private? The inept murder-minded antics of Mrs. Von Tropp's grandsons are just one example of the hilarious hijinks sprinkled throughout this farce, which registers surprise after surprise until, in a final sleight of hand, Salerni delivers a heartwarming ending that few will see coming. Humorous cartoonlike spot drawings illuminate the characters and inclinations of the inn residents. A well-constructed adventure sure to amuse and entertain readers.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) YA Stroud has much to wrap up in this third (seemingly final) volume of the exploits of fearsome Scarlett McCain and disheveled, telepathically gifted Albert Browne. In the dystopic, hostile landscape of postapocalyptic Britain, they and their company now have a double mission: to liberate banks of their funds and to free enslaved people and those about to be sold into slavery. Scarlett and Albert pursue personal quests as well: Albert wants to find his former prison and learn its secrets; Scarlett searches for her younger brother, lost to slavers years ago—and all this in the context of a terrorizing force even greater than the pair’s former enemy, the repressive Faith Houses. Now, it’s a group arming itself with weapons unearthed from deep within the ravaged land, “weapons that destroy everything they touch.” Stroud offers much activity and incident; dangerous, malicious terrain; risky schemes with explosive outcomes -- in short, there’s barely a moment to stop and ponder. But even within the pressure of action, description, and bringing many threads together, Stroud’s vivacity of phrasing has lost none of its verve. “Her pale face hung beneath her hat like a moon of vengeance in a blood-soaked sky,” he writes in one of many unforgettable descriptive moments.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2025

(4) 4-6 Historical fiction mainstay Avi presents a slow-burn turn-of-the-previous-century novel detailing the harrowing experience of one Italian immigrant as he navigates a new world where “no one cares about immigrants unless they want you to do something unpleasant.” At the request of his father who immigrated to America years earlier, thirteen-year-old (“perhaps fourteen”) Santo, along with his mother and siblings, leave Italy for the promise of a better life. The family is separated on Ellis Island; alone and unable to find his father, Santo is effectively forced into a gang of young thieves. Run by a tyrannical teen leader, the gang becomes an uneasy source of security for Santo. In the end, the family is (mostly) reunited—arguably through a series of slightly implausible events. The first-person narrative is concise; short chapters and multiple cliffhangers will compel readers forward. An author’s note provides brief historical context on the crime ring presented in the book, plus select resources.

Reviewer: Patrick Gall

(2) YA Evil Villains International League series. "The man known as Chaos had entered Peachmont High School through a back door," looking to recruit sixteen-year-old junior Keeper Chance for the Evil Villains International League, or E.V.I.L. Chaos has followed Keeper for a long time and is impressed at how purposely and consistently mediocre he has been in school -- but he also suspects that Keeper is a genius with a useful skill to contribute to the organization. Joining the group appeals to the teen, as his current life at home with his cruel "hobgoblin" of a grandmother is untenable. While preparing for their initiation ceremony, Keeper and his new friend, Toby, get mixed up with a mystery involving the whole organization. People go missing, including several members of E.V.I.L.; a beautiful girl with stealth moves is tracking Keeper; and her father is stalking him, too, for his own questionable purposes. Evanovich adeptly paces the novel, weaving several threads into a web of evil but leavening the tale of dastardly mischief with humor and a bit of romance. There's plenty of action as the protagonist uses his skill (even if no one, including himself, seems to know what it is) to help solve the crime and ensure his initiation. The story will delight readers even as they must await the sequel.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2025

(2) YA Adriana Zarahn was in the wrong place at the wrong time, helping the wrong friend, and now she's at Compass, a juvenile detention facility, for seven months. The facility is separated into a girls' and a boys' side, with each side using the cafeteria and library at different times. Adriana pours her thoughts and feelings into her journal but then accidentally leaves it behind in the library. When she finds it later, shelved in the Zs, somebody else has written notes in it. Thus begins her correspondence with Jon from the boys' side. Unlike Adriana, Jon has been at Compass for a while; the exact nature of his crime is a mystery that drives the plot. The story is told in a third-person, present-tense voice that follows Adriana and Jon in alternating sections. They may not be able to trust their peers or the adults in the system, but they form a bond that deepens over the course of the novel and blooms into love. If only they could find a way to meet. While the story stretches credulity in spots, the coauthors have crafted an immersive reading experience with elements of romance and intrigue even as it provokes readers to consider the inherent flaws in our juvenile justice system.

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

(2) YA Nico Kardos is a Mexican American high school senior from the Hunts Point neighborhood of the Bronx. He works at a fish market in the morning and sells drugs for the local gang but is taking creative writing in school to pursue his dream of being a writer. (Nico narrates his story through class-assigned journal entries.) Rosario Zamora -- his childhood friend, unrequited crush, and fellow aspiring writer -- died six months ago of a heroin overdose, and Nico is still grieving. In a vivid dream that portends his own death and those of his mother and younger brother, Rosario appears and says something to him that he cannot remember afterward. The dream drives him to explore the circumstances of her death, even as his family situation worsens: his mother's health deteriorates, and his younger brother seems poised to join the same gang. It's a lot for a young man to handle, and Stork juggles the multiple plot strands adeptly, laying bare Nico's introspective thoughts in spare prose, with evergreen issues (coming of age, grief and loss, the power of literacy) and enough mystery to keep the pages turning.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(1) YA Yoo (From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry, rev. 5/21) provides a comprehensive, kaleidoscopic account of what happened before, during, and after the 1992 Los Angeles uprising from multiple points of view, with a strong focus on the disproportionally targeted Korean American community. The deadly violence and turmoil in South Los Angeles and Koreatown were sparked by outrage over not-guilty verdicts for four police officers who beat Black motorist Rodney King, and at the lenient punishment for the Korean store owner who killed teen Latasha Harlins in a dispute over a bottle of orange juice. Using extensive research and original reporting, Yoo creates deeply humanizing portraits of King; Harlins; Edward Jae Song Lee, a young man killed trying to protect a restaurant; and their families. Yoo's account includes how police decisions and sensationalized news coverage escalated the civil unrest. She offers context for additional contributing factors -- decades of systemic racism, police corruption, endemic poverty, gang and drug violence. Hopeful elements include stories of civilians saving and helping others, a massive peace rally that galvanized Korean Americans, and two more trials in King's case. The text concludes with an update on the victims' families and others and an analysis of changes within the neighborhoods. A powerful and compelling history book that shows how the past still affects the present. Extensive back matter includes an "in memoriam" to all victims; source notes; a bibliography, and an index (unseen).

Reviewer: Michelle Lee | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2024

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Brett Helquist. The Mona Lisa wasn't the world's most famous painting when it disappeared from the Louvre in 1911. Day starts his narrative at the point of the theft, then jumps forward and backward, tracing Leonardo da Vinci's career, what (little) is known about the painting's subject, how the Mona Lisa became a pop culture icon, and its whereabouts today. In between the story's many diversions (e.g., early forensic science, the media's role in hyping the theft), readers also follow the path of the painting away from the museum and into the pages of history, which Day delivers with a dose of whimsy as he describes a case that had more than its share of ridiculous moments. The book combines age-appropriate true crime with art history and historiography. The nonlinear structure may take some getting used to, but it serves the book's goal of drawing parallels between elements of the theft and the Mona Lisa's current place in our culture. Helquist's cartoonlike black-and-white illustrations do an excellent job of matching the narrative voice and bringing the book's dramatic moments to life. A lengthy source list is appended.

Reviewer: Sarah Rettger | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2023

(2) YA On April 15, 1920, in South Braintree, Massachusetts (as a prologue describes), two men were shot and killed as they were transporting payroll funds to a major shoe factory. There were a handful of robbers, a getaway car, and dozens of witnesses. Surely the police could find the culprits and bring them to justice. The book then gives the backstory of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, Italian immigrants looking for better lives in America. Eventually, each man is drawn to the political movement of anarchism and its promise of a brighter future for laborers, though some anarchists turn to violence. As Sacco and Vanzetti seek to eliminate evidence of their connection to anarchism amid government suspicion, they become ensnared in the search for the Braintree murderers. The xenophobic bias that dominates their trial and numerous appeals will likely seem blatant to modern readers, and the suspense of whether or not they will be executed is what drives the resolution. Primary sources are included throughout, and longer excerpts from the men's letters conclude most chapters, reinforcing their humanity. Source notes, a bibliography, and an index are appended.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2023

(2) YA Proud of his family's heritage--which includes a great-great-great-great-great grandfather who salvaged shipwrecks--fifteen-year-old biracial Valdez Jones VIII has adopted the nickname Wrecker. A waterman in his own right, he has his own boat and fishes near his home in Key West. It's because of his knowledge of the area that he ends up an unwitting and unwilling accomplice to a dangerous smuggling operation. "Silver Mustache," as Wrecker dubs him, and his organization traffic in fake CDC vaccination cards, much in demand at the time by "ballplayers, movie stars, airline pilots, [and] Silicon Valley millionaires" who are out to avoid vaccination requirements. Hiaasen's writing is lively and full of sensory details: e.g., "The night's gummy and hot, a honey-colored slice of moon peeking through the wispy clouds." The satisfyingly complex plot includes grave robbers, the perils of the pandemic, a mammoth cruise ship threatening ecological disaster for the Key West coastline, the violent legacy of the KKK, a budding romance, Wrecker's high-spirited and loving family, and, best of all, locals who stand up for the place they adore. A beautifully told mystery with plenty of action and heart.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2023

(2) YA Intent on saving his family farm during the Great Depression, sixteen-year-old Joe arrives in Chicago to work and send money home. Thanks to the cousin he's staying with, he has two jobs lined up. One is working in the kitchen of a hotel. The other involves taking French classes at a local church; collecting his wealthy classmates' names, addresses, and travel dates; and passing the information along to criminals who plan to rob the homes while their occupants are vacationing abroad. Despite his reservations, Joe goes along with the scheme and is drawn inexorably into a web of lies, deceit, blackmail, and murder. With elements of noir, the plot is further complicated by a love triangle: Eddie makes deliveries to the hotel, Raymond is in his French class, and Joe becomes romantically involved with both. As trouble catches up to Joe, he's forced to flee Chicago, but he's reluctant to leave the queer community he's found and finds little solace in the idea of returning home. Klise deftly manages to balance a number of elements in Joe's first-person narration: his gradual transition from wide-eyed innocence toward criminal activity, the complicated motivations of secondary characters, convincing dialogue, and an aura of danger and suspense. The historical setting and secretly queer characters may appeal to fans of Lo's Last Night at the Telegraph Club (rev. 3/21). An author's note gives brief historical background and suggestions for further reading.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2023

(2) YA In this absorbing novel, a Nigerian Canadian girl navigating tumultuous circumstances learns to trust friends and family. Suspected of fraud, her parents have become fugitives; Summer first lives on her own and then at the homes of friends, looking forward to the legal "true freedom" that will come with her approaching eighteenth birthday. Her outward aloofness and attitude that she can handle being abandoned and betrayed belie her longing for a stable home. When a social worker discovers her situation, Summer is sent to live with a cousin, Olu, whom she barely knows. Olu is only two years older than Summer; a popular singer in Japan, she now resides in Toronto. The relationship between the cousins is fraught with tension as Summer continues to rebuff Olu's attempts to support her, and she learns that Olu has consequential problems of her own and plans to return to Japan. A traumatic incident with a family member precipitates a period of reflection that leads Summer to make a life-changing decision and to realize what matters most. Onomé's skill at conveying the complexity of teenage emotions is notable. Her sympathetic portrayal of Summer as a teen who, because of past experiences, is guarded in her relationships with adults and sometimes with peers is both authentic and believable in a resonant coming-of-age story.

Reviewer: Pauletta Brown Bracy | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2023

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Matthew Cordell. Lonely, neglected Leeva Thornblossom's greedy parents believe her job is to make them rich and famous. Since this hasn't happened yet, they require Leeva to follow her Employee Manual and perform such duties as washing dishes and cooking the books for the town of Nutsmore, where her mother is mayor and her father is treasurer. Versatile author Pennypacker (Clementine, rev. 1/07; Pax, rev. 3/16) has written a book that is by turns outrageous and wise, funny and touching, fantastical and true; Cordell's sketches contribute to the levity. Although forbidden to leave the Thornblossoms' property, Leeva begins her exploration of the outside world by sneaking to the library next door, where she befriends the kind librarian, Pauline Flowers, and her nephew. Under Mrs. Flowers's direction, Leeva begins reading books to answer her question, "What are people for?" Leeva's social circle and her understanding of the world expand exponentially, and eventually she and her new friends (and a badger) play a role in ridding the town of the adult Thornblossoms and returning all the money they stole. By story's end, Leeva knows exactly what people are for: "Everything that happens is better when someone else shares it with you."

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2023

(1) YA "Scarlett's senses crackled with anticipation," Stroud writes in the second book (following The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne, rev. 1/22) in this fantasy series full of action, outlaws, dystopian societies, and post-apocalyptic ghouls. And crackle is the word, too, to describe Stroud's insouciant humor, energetic and witty invention, and underlay of empathy in this fizzingly paced adventure. Notorious outlaw Scarlett and the telepathically gifted Albert Browne are roped into the dangerous heist of a truckload of religious artifacts when they are blackmailed by Scarlett's old colleagues in theft, the Brothers of the Hand. The job goes as well as a theft can until it ends with capture and the gallows, thanks to the religious conglomerate that runs this future scorched-earth Britain. To say the stakes are high is an understatement, but that is Stroud at his best: we know the prodigiously skilled Scarlett and Albert--hapless and unworldly though he may be--will win through, but how? Stroud is as playful and inventive in plotting as he is in description ("back was [Scarlett's] least favorite direction"; a guard has "a face like a disappointed log"), making this novel both hilarious and suspenseful. It has admirable seriousness, to boot, as Scarlett and Albert each begin to face their own interior pain and rage, foreshadowing (one hopes) the next series entry to come.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2023

(2) YA Growing up in the slums around Mumbai, India, seventh grader Minni has been raised to follow the rules and stay out of trouble, but she can't keep quiet when she spots injustice. She dreams of going to college but keeps bumping up against the realities of poverty that make that nearly impossible. The narrative focus is on Mumbai's unstable, often non-potable water supply and the lack of indoor plumbing in Minni's neighborhood. When her brother spies the “water mafia” siphoning water illegally, he is sent away for his safety, while their mother goes to the country to recover from a serious illness. This leaves Minni to obtain water and boil it, take on her mother's job as a maid, and struggle to attend school full time. Her own sleuthing leads to a shocking conclusion about corruption and Mumbai's water resources. Bajaj's suspenseful novel peels back the curtain on modern-day class and caste inequities and how they create a cycle of poverty that spirals through generations. Minni's thirst for what's right steers the novel toward an optimistic conclusion in which one person can bring about big changes.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2022

(2) YA In a fast-paced thriller with elements of the supernatural, Ahmed (Internment, rev. 3/19) continues to explore issues of racism and Islamophobia. Chicago high-school senior and budding journalist Safiya Mirza attends exclusive DuSable Prep. When escalating white supremacist attacks at school and in her Muslim community get an indifferent response from law enforcement, a determined Safiya launches her own investigation--and then a Muslim student, Jawad Ali, is found murdered. Jawad had already received attention from the media, becoming a scapegoat for right-wing conspiracy theorists, labeled a terrorist, and called "bomb boy" after a teacher mistook his cosplay jetpack for a weapon. Now, seeking closure, Jawad's ghost haunts Safiya as she pieces together the events of his violent death, determined to seek justice for him and to challenge systemic racism. In a novel that cleverly uses time jumps; alternates narration (between Safiya and ghost Jawad); and occasionally incorporates text messages, newspaper articles, and the like, Ahmed positions her story in the larger context of a racially divided world.

Reviewer: Sadaf Siddique | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2022

(1) 4-6 Cho's riveting work of historical fiction begins on April 29, 1992, when four Los Angeles police officers are acquitted in the brutal beating of a Black man, Rodney King. Twelve-year-old Jordan Park's parents close their liquor store early, bracing for the unrest to come. They expect Koreatown to be targeted by protesters since, two weeks after television footage showed King being beaten, a fifteen-year-old Black girl, Latasha Harlins, was shot and killed by a Korean American store owner. With his parents busy at the store, there's no time for Jordan to tell them that he's been suspended from school for cheating on a ­Spanish quiz (again). Having had an argument with his father and been told he is a disappointment, Jordan tries to atone by setting off on a dangerous and fraught journey: bringing his father a gun to use for self-defense, if necessary. ­Jordan's first-person narrative offers a fresh Korean ­American perspective on what were then called the L.A. Riots; on racism; and on immigration. This debut middle-grade novel by Cho, well known for his acting work, achieves a complexity of theme that is welcome for this audience. It's an important, even profound, story, yet related with a light touch. Jordan's journey will have readers following right alongside him as he navigates the vicissitudes of this moment in history and his place in his family. Back matter includes an extensive and informative author's note.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2022

(1) YA "Nineteen-year-old Nathan Leopold would kill a child today." The kidnapping, ransom, and murder plot had been in the works for months, but it came to fruition on May 21, 1924, when Leopold and his friend, eighteen-year-old Richard Loeb, targeted Loeb's second cousin, fourteen-year-old Bobby Franks, as he walked through their affluent Chicago neighborhood. Leopold and Loeb had privileged childhoods but ones with elements of neglect and abuse, potential red flags for their troubled relationship, in which Loeb got a partner in crime for his psychopathic tendencies and Leopold got a sexual relationship in exchange for enabling his partner's ­criminal activity. While they pulled off the kidnapping and murder, the ransom plot fell apart, in part because Bobby's body was found too quickly. The horrific crime puzzled the police, but the press, pandering to the public's insatiable appetite for scandal, helped solve the case. The ensuing trial saw Clarence Darrow trying to avoid the death penalty for the amoral and remorseless pair. There is a mountain of primary-source material for this story, and the narrative expertly parses it, giving readers an uncommon depth of psychological insight. This is, at once, a psychological crime thriller, a suspenseful courtroom drama, and a timely, relevant examination of social issues. In the field of YA narrative nonfiction, Fleming (The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh, rev. 1/20) continues to outdo herself. An author's note, source notes, and a bibliography are appended.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2022

(2) YA Beau, a gifted Black sixteen-year-old artist living in Chicago public housing, idolized her older sister, Katia, even though Katia had begun to make questionable decisions under the influence of her boyfriend, Jordan. After Katia is gunned down by a white off-duty police officer accusing her of trying to break into his house, Beau believes that Jordan--who has gone missing--is to blame. She begins to search for Jordan in hopes of clearing her sister's name and soon discovers that she is not the only one looking for him, and that her search could risk the lives of everyone she cares about. As she wrestles with her own grief and the tragedy's effect on her family, Beau also makes rash choices in her attempts to prove her sister's innocence, even as she comes to realize Katia had more secrets than she'd thought. While the reader is drawn to Beau, her first-person narrative reveals motivations that seem counterintuitive, rendering her both a sympathetic and flawed character. Interspersed flashbacks to Beau's time with Katia deeply intertwine themes of love and grief. The mounting action culminates in a complex but comprehensible conclusion, given the unfortunate flaws and loopholes of the judicial system. Fans of Thomas's The Hate U Give (rev. 3/17) will find this a compelling read-alike.

Reviewer: Eboni Njoku | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2022