A lyrical story that delves into the emotional truths of mental illness.
When anxiety creates a wedge between sisters, how far will they drift apart?
Twelve-year-old identical twins Maya and Chaya face life side by side and have boundless love for each other. Maya is superstitious, a perfectionist, and struggles with anxiety. Chaya, the younger twin, is freer and more easygoing and looks up to her sister. Their Indian American family’s life includes drama, with the girls’ constantly arguing parents feeling strain in their marriage, the stark contrast of a carefree 6-year-old brother, and family friends who know too much about everything. Written in verse in the girls’ alternating voices, the novel immediately shows readers the differences in mindset between the two sisters. LaRocca deftly uses music as an emotional soundtrack for mental illness: Both girls excel at classical piano, yet Maya’s perfectionism pushes her to harm herself. Protective Chaya switches to musical theater to reduce the competitive burden on Maya, but this backfires, increasing the anxiety levels for both. The verse form crystalizes the action, growing with the pressures these girls put on themselves. Seeing the same events through the eyes of each twin provides a glimpse into the insidious nature of unchecked anxiety. The ending is realistically untidy, yet clearly, hope has overpowered shame and guilt in this imperfect family.
A lyrical story that delves into the emotional truths of mental illness. (Verse fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-06-304747-1
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
Riveting, inspiring, and sometimes hilarious.
If you made a recording to be heard by the aliens who found the iPod, what would you record?
For 11-year-old Alex Petroski, it's easy. He records everything. He records the story of how he travels to New Mexico to a rocket festival with his dog, Carl Sagan, and his rocket. He records finding out that a man with the same name and birthday as his dead father has an address in Las Vegas. He records eating at Johnny Rockets for the first time with his new friends, who are giving him a ride to find his dead father (who might not be dead!), and losing Carl Sagan in the wilds of Las Vegas, and discovering he has a half sister. He even records his own awful accident. Cheng delivers a sweet, soulful debut novel with a brilliant, refreshing structure. His characters manage to come alive through the “transcript” of Alex’s iPod recording, an odd medium that sounds like it would be confusing but really works. Taking inspiration from the Voyager Golden Record released to space in 1977, Alex, who explains he has “light brown skin,” records all the important moments of a journey that takes him from a family of two to a family of plenty.
Riveting, inspiring, and sometimes hilarious. (Fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Feb. 28, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-399-18637-0
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
Guaranteed to enchant, enthrall, and enmagick.
An elderly witch, a magical girl, a brave carpenter, a wise monster, a tiny dragon, paper birds, and a madwoman converge to thwart a magician who feeds on sorrow.
Every year Elders of the Protectorate leave a baby in the forest, warning everyone an evil Witch demands this sacrifice. In reality, every year, a kind witch named Xan rescues the babies and find families for them. One year Xan saves a baby girl with a crescent birthmark who accidentally feeds on moonlight and becomes “enmagicked.” Magic babies can be tricky, so Xan adopts little Luna herself and lovingly raises her, with help from an ancient swamp monster and a chatty, wee dragon. Luna’s magical powers emerge as her 13th birthday approaches. Meanwhile, Luna’s deranged real mother enters the forest to find her daughter. Simultaneously, a young carpenter from the Protectorate enters the forest to kill the Witch and end the sacrifices. Xan also enters the forest to rescue the next sacrificed child, and Luna, the monster, and the dragon enter the forest to protect Xan. In the dramatic denouement, a volcano erupts, the real villain attempts to destroy all, and love prevails. Replete with traditional motifs, this nontraditional fairy tale boasts sinister and endearing characters, magical elements, strong storytelling, and unleashed forces. Luna has black eyes, curly, black hair, and “amber” skin.
Guaranteed to enchant, enthrall, and enmagick. (Fantasy. 10-14)Pub Date: Aug. 9, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-61620-567-6
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Algonquin
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
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