Readers seeking thrillers that contain thoughtful social commentary should look elsewhere
A shooting breaks out inside a Portland, Oregon, mall, leaving many people dead and the remaining survivors as hostages of a right-wing American terrorist group with an anti-government agenda.
Six teens successfully hide inside empty shops while the deadly situation unfolds, but soon they must decide whether to remain hidden, run, or fight back. The better-developed characters, who are all white, are wrestler Parker Gray, troubled drug addict Miranda Nash, cancer patient Grace Busby (who sees her mother die in front of her eyes), and ultraconservative conspiracy theorist Cole Bond. Meanwhile, two nonwhite characters—undocumented Mexican immigrant Javier Ramirez and the Somali American hijabi Amina Abdi—remain superficial stereotypes. Told in real time as it happens, the novel starts with alternating viewpoint chapters from all the teenagers, yet, bafflingly, two, Parker and Miranda, take over early on while the other four narrators’ perspectives disappear. Ending with one of its heroes troublingly wondering whether the terrorists may have made some valid points in terms of their beliefs, if not their methods, this fast-paced yet lackluster thriller fails to impress. The addition of a couple of twists to the story may lead readers to question whether mass shootings should ever be presented as entertainment.
Readers seeking thrillers that contain thoughtful social commentary should look elsewhere . (Thriller. 15-18)Pub Date: Aug. 27, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-62779-589-0
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano/Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: July 12, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2019
Perhaps a more genuinely enlightened protagonist would have made this debut more engaging
Audrey Rose Wadsworth, 17, would rather perform autopsies in her uncle’s dark laboratory than find a suitable husband, as is the socially acceptable rite of passage for a young, white British lady in the late 1800s.
The story immediately brings Audrey into a fractious pairing with her uncle’s young assistant, Thomas Cresswell. The two engage in predictable rounds of “I’m smarter than you are” banter, while Audrey’s older brother, Nathaniel, taunts her for being a girl out of her place. Horrific murders of prostitutes whose identities point to associations with the Wadsworth estate prompt Audrey to start her own investigation, with Thomas as her sidekick. Audrey’s narration is both ponderous and polemical, as she sees her pursuit of her goals and this investigation as part of a crusade for women. She declares that the slain aren’t merely prostitutes but “daughters and wives and mothers,” but she’s also made it a point to deny any alignment with the profiled victims: “I am not going as a prostitute. I am simply blending in.” Audrey also expresses a narrow view of her desired gender role, asserting that “I was determined to be both pretty and fierce,” as if to say that physical beauty and liking “girly” things are integral to feminism. The graphic descriptions of mutilated women don’t do much to speed the pace.
Perhaps a more genuinely enlightened protagonist would have made this debut more engaging . (Historical thriller. 15-18)Pub Date: Sept. 20, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-316-27349-7
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Jimmy Patterson/Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Only marginally intriguing.
In a remote part of Utah, in a “temple of excellence,” the best of the best are recruited to nurture their talents.
Redemption Preparatory is a cross between the Vatican and a top-secret research facility: The school is rooted in Christian ideology (but very few students are Christian), Mass is compulsory, cameras capture everything, and “maintenance” workers carry Tasers. When talented poet Emma disappears, three students, distrusting of the school administration, launch their own investigation. Brilliant chemist Neesha believes Emma has run away to avoid taking the heat for the duo’s illegal drug enterprise. Her boyfriend, an athlete called Aiden, naturally wants to find her. Evan, a chess prodigy who relies on patterns and has difficulty processing social signals, believes he knows Emma better than anyone. While the school is an insidious character on its own and the big reveal is slightly psychologically disturbing, Evan’s positioning as a tragic hero with an uncertain fate—which is connected to his stalking of Emma (even before her disappearance)—is far more unsettling. The ’90s setting provides the backdrop for tongue-in-cheek technological references but doesn’t do anything for the plot. Student testimonials and voice-to-text transcripts punctuate the three-way third-person narration that alternates among Neesha, Evan, and Aiden. Emma, Aiden, and Evan are assumed to be white; Neesha is Indian. Students are from all over the world, including Asia and the Middle East.
Only marginally intriguing. (Mystery. 15-18)Pub Date: April 14, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-06-266203-3
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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