A mixed-genre tour de force that blends together post-apocalyptic, dark fantasy, and romance elements.
Harris’ debut novel unfolds in a near-future where vampirism has all but wiped out humankind.
It’s been approximately a decade since vampires crawled from the grave and destroyed most of human civilization in a brutal, blood-soaked uprising. Orphaned twins Ripley and Ruby Clemmons were rescued from the Open—the wasteland between human enclaves where monsters roam free—by a man named Barnett who took them to Vaille (North Carolina’s biggest human compound) and raised them as his own. Now, 18 and almost full-fledged slayers, the twins face an unimaginable tragedy. While out on a mission in the Open, the twins’ squadron is attacked, and X, the most powerful vampire in the area, turns Ripley into a bloodsucker. Ruby, the story’s narrator, is devastated. With the hope of a possible cure for vampirism being dangled in front of her by Barnett, Ruby vows to find her sister and rescue her from X. But when she finally meets her sister again, her world is upended by revelations about X, an underground city of vampires, and research being conducted by the leaders of Vaille. A well-developed cast, intriguing character dynamics (the twins’ intimate bond is brilliantly explored), and excellent worldbuilding are the obvious strengths here, but the snarky sense of humor is what makes this novel so readable—and fun. Here, Ruby recalls when the apocalypse began: “I remember…worrying about lockdowns and seniors losing their chance at graduation. And then a sophomore died, reanimated into a vampire, and ate her way through the football team.” Equal parts romance and coming-of-age tale, this adventure at world’s end should satisfy teen and adult readers alike.
A mixed-genre tour de force that blends together post-apocalyptic, dark fantasy, and romance elements.Pub Date: June 3, 2025
ISBN: 9781649378392
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Review Posted Online: June 6, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
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