Its protagonist of Asian heritage aside, it’s a standard-issue dystopian middle volume.
Even though she is on Earth, Phaet can’t hide from the evil, totalitarian Lunar government for long.
Months after Phaet and Wes’ desperate flight from the Moon in Dove Arising (2015), they’ve taken refuge at his home, Saint Oda, where Phaet’s become a member of the island community. Still, they cover up what actually happened on Wes’ mission as well as the fact that Phaet’s from the Moon—the highly religious Odans, who’ve previously suffered unprovoked Lunar attacks, call Lunars “demons.” But when a representative from Pacifia, one of the two large, rival Earthbound powers, shows up with video footage of the Lunar forces torturing Phaet’s imprisoned brother, Phaet covertly uses Odan technology to contact one of their Moon spies. She learns that Lunars have allied with Pacifia, located her and Wes, and will attack Saint Oda shortly. Her identity unveiled, Phaet’s sent on a suicide mission against Pacifia to halt the attack, only to have Wes join her and decide instead to take them to Pacifia’s enemy, Battery Bay, for help. The narrative moments that explore the Earthbound civilizations are interesting but over quickly. When the attack comes, Phaet sneaks back to the Moon to rescue her brother but finds she has become a symbol of the resistance. The slow Lunar plot culminates in elections for the all-powerful council. Glaring weak spots include secondary characters’ unconvincing motives and tacked-on romantic plots.
Its protagonist of Asian heritage aside, it’s a standard-issue dystopian middle volume. (Science fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: Feb. 23, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-451-46902-1
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2015
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
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
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