A satisfying tale of bloodlust, revenge, and fashion.
In an alternate 1850 Paris, a young woman retaliates against cruel, wealthy industrialists in this YA debut by Ridley, a bestselling author for adults.
Eighteen-year-old Angélique Genêt is determined to make a better life for herself and her family. Ever since the “last revolution,” wealth and connections, not skin color, determine your value in society. Of Angélique’s fellow seamstresses at the boutique, “half are Black, half are white,” and she’s “the only one who’s a combination of both.” Madame Violette, the Black owner, gave Angélique a probationary seamstress role, allowing her to escape the dangerous Fournier Fabrics factory, where her father died. When Angélique is two weeks away from securing a living wage and rescuing her family, her mother and sister are gruesomely killed while working at the Fournier factory. Alone except for her 12-year-old sister, Elodie (a precociously gifted perfumier), and her romantic interest, Spanish-born Domingo Salazar, a suave apprentice cobbler, Angelique vows revenge against Monsieur Fournier and all the other callous and greedy capitalists—and being named Madame Violette’s protégée will give her access to the elite. But Angélique faces competition; the other seamstresses hate her for her lower social station and resent her talent. The comically evil rivals make Angélique’s revenge all the more delightful. Elodie and Domingo’s relationship brings a softer side to Angélique’s morally gray character without dulling the narrative or taking away from the gory fun.
A satisfying tale of bloodlust, revenge, and fashion. (author’s note, discussion questions) (Historical horror. 14-18)Pub Date: June 10, 2025
ISBN: 9780593897669
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter.
After a Nigerian British girl goes off to an exclusive boarding school that seems to prey on less-privileged students, she discovers there might be some truth behind an urban legend.
Ife Adebola joins the Urban Achievers scholarship program at pricey, high-pressure Nithercott School, arriving shortly after a student called Leon mysteriously disappeared. Gossip says he’s a victim of the glowing-eyed Changing Man who targets the lonely, leaving them changed. Ife doesn’t believe in the myth, but amid the stresses of Nithercott’s competitive, privileged, majority-white environment, where she is constantly reminded of her state school background, she does miss her friends and family. When Malika, a fellow Black scholarship student, disappears and then returns, acting strangely devoid of personality, Ife worries the Changing Man is real—and that she’s next. Ife joins forces with classmate Bijal and Benny, Leon’s younger brother, to uncover the truth about who the Changing Man is and what he wants. Culminating in a detailed, gory, and extended climactic battle, this verbose thriller tempts readers with a nefarious mystery involving racial and class-based violence but never quite lives up to its potential and peters out thematically by its explosive finale. However, this debut offers highly visually evocative and eerie descriptions of characters and events and will appeal to fans of creature horror, social commentary, and dark academia.
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9781250868138
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
A gripping tribute to resilience.
A girl with amnesia and a boy suspected of harming his girlfriend overcome adversity to find the answers they seek.
A 17-year-old girl wakes up in a ditch, disoriented and with no memory of who she is or what happened. Found by the Alton, Oregon, police, she is brought to the station. Soon after, Wayne Boone, a man claiming to be her father, shows up. He has photos of her on his phone and her high school ID card, with the name Mary Boone. Wayne convinces the police to release Mary into his custody. The more time Mary spends with Wayne, however, the weirder things get: He’s unaware of her food allergy, and as her memories start to return, they don’t conform with Wayne’s versions of her life. In the town of Washington City, across the Willamette River, Drew is in a bad place. His girlfriend, Lola, has disappeared, and Drew was the last person to see her. His adoptive dads and cousin are the only ones who support him; everyone else, including the sheriff, thinks he’s responsible for Lola’s disappearance. Intent on finding Lola, Drew finds help in an unlikely ally, Lola’s best friend, Autumn, who is the sheriff’s daughter. But will they find Lola in time? The two immersive storylines bring to life the trials and frustrations each main character faces in this debut, which is a thrilling delight right up to the unexpected and bittersweet conclusion. Most characters are cued white; one of Drew’s dads is Guatemalan.
A gripping tribute to resilience. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Dec. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9781728270111
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Sept. 23, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
