An original twist on the modern fairy tale amplified by sisterly affection and a poignant sense of place.
Seventeen, studying journalism, and living with her sisters in the City of Angels, Ava Granados believes only in that which she can see. She’s about to see a lot more.
The women of the Granados family have the gift of blessings: Upon her death, a matriarch like Ava’s beloved Nana has the chance to bestow blessings upon her female descendants. When a freak storm keeps Ava from reaching Nana’s bedside in time and disrupts the passage of her blessing before Nana dies, Ava is faced with an unlooked-for challenge, unbelievable new companions, and a boy she has no intention of falling for. Intertwining past and present, stories already told and stories yet to be discovered, debut author Cervantes carries Ava through the tumultuous summer before her senior year of high school with style, charm, and wisdom. This novel will especially resonate with any young person whose formative years have been paved with stories of fierce and industrious ancestors. The Mexican American Granados sisters sit at the junction of Hollywood affluence and immigrant grit, their perspectives adding a vibrant thread to the contemporary tapestry of Latine fiction. And Los Angeles, a city of bold dreams and glittering destinies, is a character all its own: Each lovingly described neighborhood, canyon, and beach brings new emotion to the narrative.
An original twist on the modern fairy tale amplified by sisterly affection and a poignant sense of place. (Fiction. 12-17)Pub Date: April 19, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-40445-4
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Jan. 25, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2022
A lushly written story with an intriguing heart.
After praying to a Fate for help, Evangeline discovers the dangerous world of magic.
When her father passes away, Evangeline is left with her cold stepmother and kind but distant stepsister, Marisol. Despite inheriting a steady trust in magic, belief in her late mother’s homeland of the mystical North (where fantastical creatures live), and philosophy of hope for the future, her dreams are dashed when Luc, her love, pledges to marry Marisol instead. Evangeline desperately prays to the Prince of Hearts, a dangerous and fickle Fate famed for his heart that is waiting to be revived by his one true love—and his potentially lethal kisses. The bargain they strike sends her on a dark and magical journey throughout the land. The writing style fluctuates from clever and original to overly verbose and often confusing in its jumble of senses. While the pervasive magic and concept of the Fates as a religious system add interest, other fantasy elements are haphazardly incorporated without enough time devoted to building a cohesive world. However, the themes of love, the power of story, family influence, and holding onto belief are well rounded and add depth. The plot contains welcome surprises, and the large cast piques curiosity; readers will wish more time was spent getting to know them. Evangeline has rose-gold hair and, like other main characters, reads as White; there is diversity among the fantasy races in this world.
A lushly written story with an intriguing heart. (map) (Fantasy. 12-16)Pub Date: Sept. 28, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-26839-6
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
Dark, seductive, but over-the-top: Characters and book alike will enthrall those who choose to play.
Garber returns to the world of bestseller Caraval (2017), this time with the focus on younger, more daring sister Donatella.
Valenda, capital of the empire, is host to the second of Legend’s magical games in a single year, and while Scarlett doesn’t want to play again, blonde Tella is eager for a chance to prove herself. She is haunted by the memory of her death in the last game and by the cursed Deck of Destiny she used as a child which foretold her loveless future. Garber has changed many of the rules of her expanding world, which now appears to be infused with magic and evil Fates. Despite a weak plot and ultraviolet prose (“He tasted like exquisite nightmares and stolen dreams, like the wings of fallen angels, and bottles of fresh moonlight.”), this is a tour de force of imagination. Themes of love, betrayal, and the price of magic (and desire) swirl like Caraval’s enchantments, and Dante’s sensuous kisses will thrill readers as much as they do Tella. The convoluted machinations of the Prince of Hearts (one of the Fates), Legend, and even the empress serve as the impetus for Tella’s story and set up future volumes which promise to go bigger. With descriptions focusing primarily on clothing, characters’ ethnicities are often indeterminate.
Dark, seductive, but over-the-top: Characters and book alike will enthrall those who choose to play. (glossary) (Fantasy. 12-16)Pub Date: May 29, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-250-09531-2
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: March 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2018
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