A collection of short stories that isn’t as exciting as its subject.
Mysterious and magical, colorful and captivating: The circus entices, entertains, and enthralls and serves as the inspiration for this anthology.
This collection of short fiction spans genres from realistic and historical fiction to fantasy and science fiction. Whether they are set in our world or beyond our universe, all the stories center around a circus-themed narrative. Beginning with a foreword by circus educator Hovey Burgess, the volume’s 14 entries each appear with an accompanying full-page illustration. The collection as a whole is well thought out, but with the exception of editor Fan’s own captivating stories—“On Moonlit Wings,” “A Special Theory of a Circus,” and “Flyer, Flyer”—most of the narratives will not engage a wider audience. A few of the tales, such as “The Shadow Menagerie” by Karissa Laurel and “Walking an Emotional Tightrope” by Amy Bearce, present characters from the authors’ full-length novels and may be appealing to existing fans who wish to continue the adventures begun in other works, but the stories themselves leave something to be desired. Unfortunately, many of the other entries feature underdeveloped characters and lackluster plotlines that end somewhat abruptly. Despite the uneven execution, circus enthusiasts will recognize this collection as a love letter to the source of its inspiration and appreciate the authors’ showcasing of the love and dedication of circus performers and the allure of the big top.
A collection of short stories that isn’t as exciting as its subject. (Anthology. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2024
ISBN: 9781958051801
Page Count: 396
Publisher: Snowy Wings Publishing
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This grittily provocative debut explores the horrors of self-harm and the healing power of artistic expression.
After surviving a suicide attempt, a fragile teen isn't sure she can endure without cutting herself.
Seventeen-year-old Charlie Davis, a white girl living on the margins, thinks she has little reason to live: her father drowned himself; her bereft and abusive mother kicked her out; her best friend, Ellis, is nearly brain dead after cutting too deeply; and she's gone through unspeakable experiences living on the street. After spending time in treatment with other young women like her—who cut, burn, poke, and otherwise hurt themselves—Charlie is released and takes a bus from the Twin Cities to Tucson to be closer to Mikey, a boy she "like-likes" but who had pined for Ellis instead. But things don't go as planned in the Arizona desert, because sweet Mikey just wants to be friends. Feeling rejected, Charlie, an artist, is drawn into a destructive new relationship with her sexy older co-worker, a "semifamous" local musician who's obviously a junkie alcoholic. Through intense, diarylike chapters chronicling Charlie's journey, the author captures the brutal and heartbreaking way "girls who write their pain on their bodies" scar and mar themselves, either succumbing or surviving. Like most issue books, this is not an easy read, but it's poignant and transcendent as Charlie breaks more and more before piecing herself back together.
This grittily provocative debut explores the horrors of self-harm and the healing power of artistic expression. (author’s note) (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-101-93471-5
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2016
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