An extended mother-child therapy session, with magic.
During a road trip, a mother and teen stumble into the Realm of Spirits.
Misha, who presents nonbinary and white, lives with their aunt Maggie. Their mom, Audrey, hasn’t been around much, and when she is present, she’s often misgendering them or acting disappointed that they aren’t a girl. Aunt Maggie asks Misha to write Audrey a letter expressing the feelings they can’t verbalize and go on a trip with her so they can connect. While searching for a haunted castle, Misha and Audrey end up lost in the woods. They eventually find a seemingly abandoned town that at night suddenly fills with spirits. Odun, a tricky humanoid wolf spirit with brown skin and white hair, informs them that most spirits eat humans; with few choices, they decide to accept his invitation to travel together. Misha and Audrey have differing opinions about how to find their way back to the Material Realm, and their fights are exacerbated by their emotional baggage. The story’s resolution is realistically messy, with a cathartic breaking point leading to Audrey’s conscious decision to try to be a better parent. While these delightfully flawed characters have a compelling arc, the worldbuilding and Odun’s story both could use a bit more oomph. The Realm of Spirits and some of its creatures are reminiscent of Studio Ghibli films, a feeling that is amplified by the earth-toned illustrations.
An extended mother-child therapy session, with magic. (author's note, process notes and sketches) (Graphic fantasy. 12-18)Pub Date: June 10, 2025
ISBN: 9781250866219
Page Count: 320
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2025
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.
The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.
Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798987380406
Page Count: 538
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
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