A gory, thought-provoking sequel mixing Dexter and John Wick and not for the faint-hearted.
Continues the violent misfortunes of two teens on the run for their lives.
Picking up right after Not Even Bones’ (2018) cliffhanger ending, Nita finds herself facing Fabricio, the boy who betrayed her to the black market, and revenge is all Nita thinks of. But Nita has even bigger problems now, as a video of her self-healing ability is on the dark web, marking her as a vulnerable target. When she realizes that to ensure her freedom she needs to send a message to her enemies not to mess with her, Nita turns to Kovit, the monstrous boy she both fears and likes. But even the best-laid plans have flaws….While the setting moves from Latin America to Canada, the story is still very much concerned with ongoing questions of nature, nurture, and accountability when it comes to one’s humanity—or one’s monstrosity, as the case may be. As Nita and Kovit grow closer to one another, the book never shies away from its characters’ psychopathic tendencies, with little respite from the graphic violence that they both endure and induce. Although there is little actual plot progression (the characters start and end the book in the same kind of danger), there is undoubtedly a strong character arc toward self-knowledge and self-determination for both protagonists. Both Nita and Kovit are brown skinned; Nita has a Chilean father and a nonhuman mother.
A gory, thought-provoking sequel mixing Dexter and John Wick and not for the faint-hearted. (Fantasy. 15-adult)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-328-86355-3
Page Count: 432
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: June 9, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2019
Perhaps a more genuinely enlightened protagonist would have made this debut more engaging
Audrey Rose Wadsworth, 17, would rather perform autopsies in her uncle’s dark laboratory than find a suitable husband, as is the socially acceptable rite of passage for a young, white British lady in the late 1800s.
The story immediately brings Audrey into a fractious pairing with her uncle’s young assistant, Thomas Cresswell. The two engage in predictable rounds of “I’m smarter than you are” banter, while Audrey’s older brother, Nathaniel, taunts her for being a girl out of her place. Horrific murders of prostitutes whose identities point to associations with the Wadsworth estate prompt Audrey to start her own investigation, with Thomas as her sidekick. Audrey’s narration is both ponderous and polemical, as she sees her pursuit of her goals and this investigation as part of a crusade for women. She declares that the slain aren’t merely prostitutes but “daughters and wives and mothers,” but she’s also made it a point to deny any alignment with the profiled victims: “I am not going as a prostitute. I am simply blending in.” Audrey also expresses a narrow view of her desired gender role, asserting that “I was determined to be both pretty and fierce,” as if to say that physical beauty and liking “girly” things are integral to feminism. The graphic descriptions of mutilated women don’t do much to speed the pace.
Perhaps a more genuinely enlightened protagonist would have made this debut more engaging . (Historical thriller. 15-18)Pub Date: Sept. 20, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-316-27349-7
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Jimmy Patterson/Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Only marginally intriguing.
In a remote part of Utah, in a “temple of excellence,” the best of the best are recruited to nurture their talents.
Redemption Preparatory is a cross between the Vatican and a top-secret research facility: The school is rooted in Christian ideology (but very few students are Christian), Mass is compulsory, cameras capture everything, and “maintenance” workers carry Tasers. When talented poet Emma disappears, three students, distrusting of the school administration, launch their own investigation. Brilliant chemist Neesha believes Emma has run away to avoid taking the heat for the duo’s illegal drug enterprise. Her boyfriend, an athlete called Aiden, naturally wants to find her. Evan, a chess prodigy who relies on patterns and has difficulty processing social signals, believes he knows Emma better than anyone. While the school is an insidious character on its own and the big reveal is slightly psychologically disturbing, Evan’s positioning as a tragic hero with an uncertain fate—which is connected to his stalking of Emma (even before her disappearance)—is far more unsettling. The ’90s setting provides the backdrop for tongue-in-cheek technological references but doesn’t do anything for the plot. Student testimonials and voice-to-text transcripts punctuate the three-way third-person narration that alternates among Neesha, Evan, and Aiden. Emma, Aiden, and Evan are assumed to be white; Neesha is Indian. Students are from all over the world, including Asia and the Middle East.
Only marginally intriguing. (Mystery. 15-18)Pub Date: April 14, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-06-266203-3
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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