by Jessica Burkhart ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 25, 2023
A quick and appealing read focusing on second chances.
Young competitive rider Abby faces social media bullying from an equestrian rival as she grapples with the consequences of a mistake that haunts her.
In this sequel to Sweet & Bitter Rivals (2023), Abby continues to struggle with her new stepfamily, especially when stepsister Emery doesn’t stand up for her after classmate Nina distributes a video showing Abby in a negative light. When her dad can’t make it to the competition she’s been diligently preparing for because of work, she is devastated, believing his career has yet again taken priority over her. Seeing Emery’s mom, who is Abby’s stepmom, is painful, as Abby laments the absence of her own mother from her life. Her spirits brighten when she starts crushing on Mila, the cute new girl auditioning for the team. Meanwhile, the conflict with archnemesis Nina continues to intensify, leading to an argument at the meet that goes viral on TikTok and may have a destructive effect on the whole team. The book ends with a bit of a cliffhanger, setting readers up for the next volume. Abby and Mila are White; the previous book established that Abby’s two best friends are Black and Korean. Abby’s father ultimately plays a supportive role in her journey. Though slow paced at times, this story holds appeal as it deftly explores middle school family and friendship challenges.
A quick and appealing read focusing on second chances. (Fiction. 9-13)Pub Date: July 25, 2023
ISBN: 9781665912938
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: April 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2023
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edited by Jessica Burkhart
by Soman Chainani ; illustrated by Iacopo Bruno ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 14, 2013
Rich and strange (and kitted out with an eye-catching cover), but stronger in the set pieces than the internal logic.
Chainani works an elaborate sea change akin to Gregory Maguire’s Wicked (1995), though he leaves the waters muddied.
Every four years, two children, one regarded as particularly nice and the other particularly nasty, are snatched from the village of Gavaldon by the shadowy School Master to attend the divided titular school. Those who survive to graduate become major or minor characters in fairy tales. When it happens to sweet, Disney princess–like Sophie and her friend Agatha, plain of features, sour of disposition and low of self-esteem, they are both horrified to discover that they’ve been dropped not where they expect but at Evil and at Good respectively. Gradually—too gradually, as the author strings out hundreds of pages of Hogwarts-style pranks, classroom mishaps and competitions both academic and romantic—it becomes clear that the placement wasn’t a mistake at all. Growing into their true natures amid revelations and marked physical changes, the two spark escalating rivalry between the wings of the school. This leads up to a vicious climactic fight that sees Good and Evil repeatedly switching sides. At this point, readers are likely to feel suddenly left behind, as, thanks to summary deus ex machina resolutions, everything turns out swell(ish).
Rich and strange (and kitted out with an eye-catching cover), but stronger in the set pieces than the internal logic. (Fantasy. 11-13)Pub Date: May 14, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-06-210489-2
Page Count: 496
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2013
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by Soman Chainani ; illustrated by Iacopo Bruno
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BOOK TO SCREEN
by Christina Li ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 12, 2021
Charming, poignant, and thoughtfully woven.
An aspiring scientist and a budding artist become friends and help each other with dream projects.
Unfolding in mid-1980s Sacramento, California, this story stars 12-year-olds Rosalind and Benjamin as first-person narrators in alternating chapters. Ro’s father, a fellow space buff, was killed by a drunk driver; the rocket they were working on together lies unfinished in her closet. As for Benji, not only has his best friend, Amir, moved away, but the comic book holding the clue for locating his dad is also missing. Along with their profound personal losses, the protagonists share a fixation with the universe’s intriguing potential: Ro decides to complete the rocket and hopes to launch mementos of her father into outer space while Benji’s conviction that aliens and UFOs are real compels his imagination and creativity as an artist. An accident in science class triggers a chain of events forcing Benji and Ro, who is new to the school, to interact and unintentionally learn each other’s secrets. They resolve to find Benji’s dad—a famous comic-book artist—and partner to finish Ro’s rocket for the science fair. Together, they overcome technical, scheduling, and geographical challenges. Readers will be drawn in by amusing and fantastical elements in the comic book theme, high emotional stakes that arouse sympathy, and well-drawn character development as the protagonists navigate life lessons around grief, patience, self-advocacy, and standing up for others. Ro is biracial (Chinese/White); Benji is White.
Charming, poignant, and thoughtfully woven. (Fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Jan. 12, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-06-300888-5
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2020
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