High-spirited drama.
In this return to magical Arden High, previously explored in Twelfth Grade Night (2022), the hijinks take place among the jocks.
Leah King is everything a cheer captain should be: confident, hardworking, and totally assured of her own goals. Or, she was before senior year, when, faced with being wait-listed at her dream college, she flounders. She’s also struggling with queer imposter syndrome after coming out as demisexual. Chaos ensues when Leah resigns her beloved captaincy to Rae and Gabe, ambitious bullies who throw her life, the squad, and her friendship with put-upon best friend Kendall into disarray. Booth and Strohm are just as wholeheartedly committed to goofiness and fun as in the previous outing, with the interpersonal drama inspired by King Lear playing out against a slightly fantastical backdrop. That play might not seem like the most obvious choice to adapt for this particular setting, but the authors satisfyingly shift the original text while still telling a story that can be enjoyed even by those unfamiliar with the original. The earnestness sometimes veers a bit toward after-school special territory in tone but is nonetheless charming. Green’s art is confident and endearing: Strikingly unusual color palettes bring dynamism to more intense sequences, and playful backgrounds highlight the school’s unusual nature. The character designs remain a strong point, utilizing an adorably quirky cast who have diverse body types and express instantly recognizable personalities. Leah reads white; the supporting cast is racially diverse and largely queer.
High-spirited drama. (Graphic fantasy. 12-18)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781368064637
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
A fast-paced dip into the possibility of a world without human emotions.
A teenage girl refuses a medical procedure to remove her heart and her emotions.
June lives in a future in which a reclusive Scientist has pioneered a procedure to remove hearts, thus eliminating all “sadness, anxiety, and anger.” The downside is that it numbs pleasurable feelings, too. Most people around June have had the procedure done; for young people, in part because doing so helps them become more focused and successful. Before long, June is the only one among her peers who still has her heart. When her parents decide it’s time for her to have the procedure so she can become more focused in school, June hatches a plan to pretend to go through with it. She also investigates a way to restore her beloved sister’s heart, joining forces with Max, a classmate who’s also researching the Scientist because he has started to feel again despite having had his heart removed. The pair’s journey is somewhat rushed and improbable, as is the resolution they achieve. However, the story’s message feels relevant and relatable to teens, and the artwork effectively sets the scene, with bursts of color popping throughout an otherwise black-and-white landscape, reflecting the monochromatic, heartless reality of June’s world. There are no ethnic or cultural markers in the text; June has paper-white skin and dark hair, and Max has dark skin and curly black hair.
A fast-paced dip into the possibility of a world without human emotions. (Graphic speculative fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: June 13, 2023
ISBN: 9780063116214
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: April 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
Rom-com fans will love this joyride through Philadelphia.
An entertaining romp reminiscent of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
High school senior Grace Barbour needs a break from school, and she’s pretty sure her best friends, Isabel Cruz and Everett Adler, do too. The student body president engages in some subterfuge (and begging) to get the pair to skip school and hit the road for the best day ever. Grace’s motives aren’t entirely altruistic—she has growing feelings for Everett, who’s Isa’s ex. She needs them to make up ASAP so she and Everett can move forward with their relationship. Isa, meanwhile, is keeping a secret from Grace—she and Grace’s brother, James, have feelings for one another (and James is hot on the trio’s trail). An unforgettable day unfolds, as the longtime friends, who are just a month from graduation, deal with their entangled bonds, reveal secrets, explore the city, and eat cheesesteaks. Despite a slightly slow start, Walther’s latest ramps up to become a lively and enjoyable read. The Philadelphia setting shines as the friends reminisce about their childhoods growing up just outside the city and the special bond their families share. Mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, and grief, are dealt with sympathetically between capers. The multifaceted characters effectively deal with their problems through satisfying conversations. Isa is Latine, Everett is Jewish and cued white, and Grace, who’s bisexual, also presents white.
Rom-com fans will love this joyride through Philadelphia. (Romance. 13-18)Pub Date: March 4, 2025
ISBN: 9780593813959
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Delacorte Romance
Review Posted Online: Dec. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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