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Donnelly, Jennifer
9 Reviews
(4)
YA
In Disney's film Beauty and the Beast, the Beast bequeaths his library to Belle in a gesture of friendship. In this original story-within-the-film, Belle then discovers a magical book called Nevermore that transports her into a too-good-to-be-true world she almost becomes trapped in forever. Despite two-dimensional new characters, Donnelly elevates this tale by offering backstories and additional depth for the film's characters.
Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter
(3)
YA
Waterfire Saga series.
In this finale to the four-part mermaid epic, the descendants of the Atlantean mages face their hardest challenges yet. Astrid comes face-to-face with her terrible ancestor Orfeo, Ava confronts deadly spirits, Sera leads the resistance into war, and Ling smokes out a spy. Political intrigue, thrilling battles, and strong female characters produce a satisfying ending that hints at possible future stories. Glos.
Reviewer: Lana Barnes
(3)
YA
Waterfire Saga series.
Mermaids Serafina, Neela, and the other descendants of the Six go their separate ways. Sera sets out in search of the talismans needed to destroy Abbadon, while Neela returns to Matali to warn her parents about the dangers that destroyed Miromara. The fast-paced plot, enchanting setting, and resourceful protagonists will keep fans of the series engaged. Glos.
Reviewer: Barratt Miller
(2)
YA
Wealthy New Yorker Jo knows what's in store for her: a loveless marriage; children; tedious social events. Following in the footsteps of her hero, female journalist Nellie Bly, seems an impossible dream--until Jo begins to investigate her father's apparent suicide. Rich late-nineteenth-century detail, an ever-deepening mystery, a heroine to cheer on, thoughtful considerations of class and gender, swoon-worthy romance--this is a most entertaining read.
Reviewer: Monica Edinger
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
September, 2015
(3)
YA
Waterfire Saga series.
Our mermaid heroines continue their quest to find powerful, storied talismans and keep them away from brutal mage Orfeo. Ling seeks the pearl in a prison camp, Astrid returns to Ondalina, Becca challenges the Williwaw at Cape Horn, and Serafina allies with sea goblins to reclaim her throne. Series fans will adore the latest addition to this action-packed fantasy saga.
Reviewer: Barratt Miller
(3)
YA
Waterfire Saga series.
After a group of assassins attack during her betrothal ceremony, mermaid princess Serafina and her friend Neela escape. Their prophetic dreams lead them to Romania, where a river witch hopes to unite six teenage mermaids who together have the power to defeat an ancient monster. Mermaid lovers will adore this earnest fantasy novel's detailed world-building, likable characters, and adventurous plot.
Reviewer: Barratt Miller
(4)
YA
Wracked with grief over her younger brother's death, Brooklyn teen guitarist Andi accompanies her father, a world-renowned geneticist, to Paris. There she stumbles on the diary of an eighteenth-century girl caught up in the French Revolution. The parallel narratives intersect in an over-the-top time-travel sequence, which, though not totally convincing, adds to the novel's rich layers of political and cultural history.
Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann
(2)
YA
Should sixteen-year-old Mattie stay in her insular community and become a wife and mother, or should she strike out for the freedom and intellectual stimulation of the big city? A murder helps her make up her mind. Set in upstate New York in 1906, this ambitious historical novel incorporates the same real-life crime--the murder of a pregnant young woman--that inspired Dreiser's An American Tragedy.
Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
May, 2003
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Stephen Gammell.
A selfish little boy learns to think of others after his grandmother puts him into a giant "humble pie," and he is almost eaten by hungry peasants. Donnelly's original folk tale, with its overt moral and rich storytelling language, is illustrated with Gammell's characteristically loose pictures, with pie filling splattered over many of the pages.
Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth
9 reviews
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