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CHILDREN OF THE REVOLUTION

From the Children of the Revolution series , Vol. 1

Sharp characterization and vibrant prose enliven this futuristic tale.

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A teen in a dystopian world seeks vengeance against powerful, murderous officials who control the precious water in this novel.

Sixteen-year-old Merit lives in the Protectorate with her medic father, Eben. The walled area consists of six Regions surrounding the Great Lakes, which now contain much of the devastated world’s fresh water. The governing Galt Corporation, or the Hive, regulates the water and, therefore, the people. Any individual the Hive deems unsuitable is subject to severance, which is a bullet train ride to the land outside the Protectorate known as the Outlier. This includes Merit’s mother, Serafina, who’s been gone a year. When the teen’s Region, Illiana, experiences a longer-than-usual water outage, she and Eben share their stash of bottled water with others. But it’s soon clear that the outage is part of the Hive’s deadly plan for an entire District in Illiana. The Hive wants to use Eben’s skills elsewhere, but that would mean leaving Merit behind for severance or worse. So Eben helps Merit flee with the hopes that they will reunite later. The Hive’s security force, the goliaths, manage to track her as she hides in the wilderness. Merit fortunately encounters a man who can teach her how to be a hunter—how to shoot and kill the goliaths trying to murder her. But taking them out won’t satiate Merit’s thirst for revenge. For that, she heads to Chicago to find “the man who turned off the water” along with the individual who gave the order.

Zienty’s worldbuilding begets a riveting, albeit frightening, future realm. The peril, for one, is unquestionable, as the tale begins in the midst of a four-year drought. Similarly, the totalitarian Hive is a formidable force, with an unsavory Illiana official named Tanner the most discernible representative. The Hive aims for control in myriad ways, such as requiring hormone adjustments to ensure most citizens’ androgyny and outlawing books. The author avoids congesting the narrative with details by hinting at causal events. For example, it’s “Year 80,” with little indication as to which catastrophes prompted the implementation of Year Zero or how they may have affected other countries. Plot progression slows considerably in the latter half, as Merit’s goal of retribution remains the driving force. Nevertheless, the story moves at a steady beat as she faces goliaths and ultimately makes a number of allies. This tale is certainly not lighthearted fare; Merit is unmistakably distraught over her decision to employ lethal means, and more than one likable character meets a sad, violent end. Zienty beautifies the story with sublime writing, including Merit’s time in the wilderness: “Gnarled faces jut from the rock wall, brows caught in perpetual furrow, mouth drawn in eternal frowns, like a cluster of giant men frozen in a spell cast by some sorceress of stone, a sister to the Gorgon Medusa.” Despite a thoroughly gratifying conclusion, there are quite a few things left unresolved or unexplained—perfect fodder for a potential sequel.

Sharp characterization and vibrant prose enliven this futuristic tale. (maps, acknowledgements, about the author)

Pub Date: May 1, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-73368-810-9

Page Count: 426

Publisher: Self

Review Posted Online: April 5, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2020

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THE FIELD GUIDE TO THE NORTH AMERICAN TEENAGER

Despite some missteps, this will appeal to readers who enjoy a fresh and realistic teen voice.

A teenage, not-so-lonely loner endures the wilds of high school in Austin, Texas.

Norris Kaplan, the protagonist of Philippe’s debut novel, is a hypersweaty, uber-snarky black, Haitian, French-Canadian pushing to survive life in his new school. His professor mom’s new tenure-track job transplants Norris mid–school year, and his biting wit and sarcasm are exposed through his cataloging of his new world in a field guide–style burn book. He’s greeted in his new life by an assortment of acquaintances, Liam, who is white and struggling with depression; Maddie, a self-sacrificing white cheerleader with a heart of gold; and Aarti, his Indian-American love interest who offers connection. Norris’ ego, fueled by his insecurities, often gets in the way of meaningful character development. The scenes showcasing his emotional growth are too brief and, despite foreshadowing, the climax falls flat because he still gets incredible personal access to people he’s hurt. A scene where Norris is confronted by his mother for getting drunk and belligerent with a white cop is diluted by his refusal or inability to grasp the severity of the situation and the resultant minor consequences. The humor is spot-on, as is the representation of the black diaspora; the opportunity for broader conversations about other topics is there, however, the uneven buildup of detailed, meaningful exchanges and the glibness of Norris’ voice detract.

Despite some missteps, this will appeal to readers who enjoy a fresh and realistic teen voice. (Fiction. 13-16)

Pub Date: Jan. 8, 2019

ISBN: 978-0-06-282411-0

Page Count: 384

Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Oct. 14, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2018

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THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS

From the Girl of Fire and Thorns series , Vol. 1

Despite the stale fat-to-curvy pattern, compelling world building with a Southern European, pseudo-Christian feel,...

Adventure drags our heroine all over the map of fantasyland while giving her the opportunity to use her smarts.

Elisa—Princess Lucero-Elisa de Riqueza of Orovalle—has been chosen for Service since the day she was born, when a beam of holy light put a Godstone in her navel. She's a devout reader of holy books and is well-versed in the military strategy text Belleza Guerra, but she has been kept in ignorance of world affairs. With no warning, this fat, self-loathing princess is married off to a distant king and is embroiled in political and spiritual intrigue. War is coming, and perhaps only Elisa's Godstone—and knowledge from the Belleza Guerra—can save them. Elisa uses her untried strategic knowledge to always-good effect. With a character so smart that she doesn't have much to learn, body size is stereotypically substituted for character development. Elisa’s "mountainous" body shrivels away when she spends a month on forced march eating rat, and thus she is a better person. Still, it's wonderfully refreshing to see a heroine using her brain to win a war rather than strapping on a sword and charging into battle.

Despite the stale fat-to-curvy pattern, compelling world building with a Southern European, pseudo-Christian feel, reminiscent of Naomi Kritzer's Fires of the Faithful (2002), keeps this entry fresh. (Fantasy. 12-14)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2011

ISBN: 978-0-06-202648-4

Page Count: 432

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Review Posted Online: July 19, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011

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