A delightful beginning to a promising series that’s sure to appeal to teen readers who feel like outsiders.
Three friends and a magical dog become heroes in a strange land in Melvin’s YA fantasy series opener.
After 13-year-old Charlie Magus’ father walks out on him and his mom, they move from St. Petersburg, Florida, to Lowery, South Carolina, to live with his grandparents. Charlie’s grandfather gives him a white dog named Blue who soon becomes his devoted guardian. At school, the teen is often a target for bullies, but he finds kindred spirits in bullied classmates Zola Scyler and Virgil. He brings his new friends to see a magical waterfall that he discovered in the woods; after crawling through a tunnel behind it, they’re transported to a magical place where Blue is the size of a horse, their classmate Garrick is a revered leader, and they face dangers that they never could have imagined. They’re in the land of Pacchann, which is currently embroiled in a brutal war against a being called the Niddukk and his minions. Charlie and his friends discover that they possess magical abilities that could make them saviors of Pacchann—or the targets of its enemies. Overall, Melvin delivers a novel that’s appealing and well-crafted. Charlie is a likable, relatable protagonist, and he quickly establishes an entertaining dynamic with Virgil and Zola. Blue is more than just an animal sidekick, as he seems to have a protective and wise character all his own. The prose is accessible throughout while providing some dazzling descriptions: “Deep among the trees stood a black spire that towered hundreds of feet above the canopy. It was jagged at the top like a spiked crown—only the crown was on fire, and a ring of swirling smoke engulfed its pinnacle.” The magical world is entrancing, although it takes a while for the conflict that’s causing the war to become clear. The Niddukk is also a rather nebulous, indistinct antagonist, but the thrilling battle scenes make up for these minor issues.
A delightful beginning to a promising series that’s sure to appeal to teen readers who feel like outsiders.Pub Date: April 22, 2024
ISBN: 9798323245727
Page Count: 275
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Oct. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Raw, delicate, and deeply caring.
When Death-Cast doesn’t call, fate intertwines the lives of two boys, both haunted by their pasts and with futures they can’t escape.
In this third installment of the series that opened with 2017’s They Both Die at the End, Paz Dario waits every night for Death-Cast to call—as it should have for his father nearly 10 years ago, when Paz shot him to save his mother’s life. But the call never comes. Death-Cast killed Paz’s dreams of an acting career: No one will hire him now because the world sees him as a villain. When Paz tries (not for the first time) to put an end to his suffering, an unexpected encounter with Alano Rosa, the heir of Death-Cast, stops him. Both in a place of desperation, Alano and Paz sign a contract to live for Begin Days instead of waiting for their End Days. As suspenseful and emotionally wrenching as the previous titles in the series, this new installment explores heavy themes of abuse, mental health, self-harm, and suicide. Paz grapples with a recent diagnosis of borderline personality disorder. Silvera surrounds Alano and Paz with a web of complex relationships. Although the protagonists fall fast for one another and form a deep connection over Alano’s desire to support Paz, Silvera emphasizes the importance of professional help. Both Alano and Paz have Puerto Rican heritage. The cliffhanger ending promises more to come.
Raw, delicate, and deeply caring. (content warning, resources) (Speculative fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780063240858
Page Count: 720
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
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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