By turns thrilling and thought-provoking.
Consumerism turns terrifying in a creepy company town.
Newly transplanted Keegan has just settled into his new home in the seemingly utopian and cloyingly named Happy Town with his mom and his stepdad, Carl. Enclosed beneath a climate-controlled dome and devoid of birds or bugs, Happy Town life is dictated by corporate magnate Arlo Corn, who brands everything with jargon (buses are known as “conveyors,” and detention is called Mandatory Saturday Work Opportunity). All adults in Happy Town receive tiny cranial implants known colloquially as “imps,” giving Corn an all-access pass into their subconscious (kids are thankfully spared this invasion of privacy). Commercials constantly stream as imp-embedded grown-ups fritter from one corporately decreed trend to the next—musical instruments one day and hats the next—all deducted from any pay they earn. Keegan and new friends Gloriana (who has an appetite for destruction) and Tank (a romance novel devotee) know that things aren’t quite right in Happy Town, but when the adults all develop an insatiable craving for meat, things take a dark turn. Van Eekhout’s satirical romp is a wonderfully silly and gross page-turner, sure to resonate with Goosebumps fans. Populated with cryogenic heads, meat-crazed zombies, and adorable animal toys that provide electric shocks, this tale will delight genre fans with its skillfully wrought intersection of social commentary and horror. Physical descriptions are minimal.
By turns thrilling and thought-provoking. (Horror. 8-12)Pub Date: Oct. 22, 2024
ISBN: 9780063253360
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant.
Robot Roz undertakes an unusual ocean journey to save her adopted island home in this third series entry.
When a poison tide flowing across the ocean threatens their island, Roz works with the resident creatures to ensure that they will have clean water, but the destruction of vegetation and crowding of habitats jeopardize everyone’s survival. Brown’s tale of environmental depredation and turmoil is by turns poignant, graceful, endearing, and inspiring, with his (mostly) gentle robot protagonist at its heart. Though Roz is different from the creatures she lives with or encounters—including her son, Brightbill the goose, and his new mate, Glimmerwing—she makes connections through her versatile communication abilities and her desire to understand and help others. When Roz accidentally discovers that the replacement body given to her by Dr. Molovo is waterproof, she sets out to seek help and discovers the human-engineered source of the toxic tide. Brown’s rich descriptions of undersea landscapes, entertaining conversations between Roz and wild creatures, and concise yet powerful explanations of the effect of the poison tide on the ecology of the island are superb. Simple, spare illustrations offer just enough glimpses of Roz and her surroundings to spark the imagination. The climactic confrontation pits oceangoing mammals, seabirds, fish, and even zooplankton against hardware and technology in a nicely choreographed battle. But it is Roz’s heroism and peacemaking that save the day.
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9780316669412
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
A pleasing premise for book lovers.
A fantasy-loving bookworm makes a wonderful, terrible bargain.
When sixth grader Poppy Woodlock’s historic preservationist parents move the family to the Oregon coast to work on the titular stately home, Poppy’s sure she’ll find magic. Indeed, the exiled water nymph in the manor’s ruined swimming pool grants a wish, but: “Magic isn’t free. It cosssts.” The price? Poppy’s favorite book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In return she receives Sampson, a winged lion cub who is everything Poppy could have hoped for. But she soon learns that the nymph didn’t take just her own physical book—she erased Narnia from Poppy’s world. And it’s just the first loss: Soon, Poppy’s grandmother’s journal’s gone, then The Odyssey, and more. The loss is heartbreaking, but Sampson’s a wonderful companion, particularly as Poppy’s finding middle school a tough adjustment. Hartman’s premise is beguiling—plenty of readers will identify with Poppy, both as a fellow bibliophile and as a kid struggling to adapt. Poppy’s repeatedly expressed faith that unveiling Sampson will bring some sort of vindication wears thin, but that does not detract from the central drama. It’s a pity that the named real-world books Poppy reads are notably lacking in diversity; a story about the power of literature so limited in imagination lets both itself and readers down. Main characters are cued White; there is racial diversity in the supporting cast. Chapters open with atmospheric spot art. (This review has been updated to reflect the final illustrations.)
A pleasing premise for book lovers. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9780316448222
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
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