Come for the action, stay for the emotional depth.
Estranged sisters Gamora and Nebula race to retrieve the heart of a dying planet, guided by forces beyond their knowledge.
Lee’s latest explores a turning point for two of the Marvel Universe’s most complicated figures. Green-skinned mercenary Gamora sells her skills and connections to the highest bidder—which is usually her father, Thanos. He’s manipulated and pitted his adopted daughters against one another for years but always favors Gamora, leading blue-skinned Nebula to make increasingly desperate attempts to prove her worth; recently, she lost an arm for her trouble. Practical, efficient Gamora doesn’t dwell on the rivalry with her sister: She’s had little reason to doubt their father’s methods or motivations. Gamora’s latest assignment is on Torndune, a once-verdant planet that’s been ravaged for its subterranean deposits of Crowmikite, a valuable energy source. She doesn’t know she’s been followed there by Nebula, who’s also in pursuit of Torndune's heart and who possesses critical information about Gamora’s mission. Everything changes when the sisters reconnect in the midst of a rebellion against the powerful entities who profit from Torndune’s natural resources and discover just who hired Gamora—and why. Gripping and well-choreographed fight sequences—both physical and verbal—establish each sister’s strengths and weaknesses and foreshadow a final confrontation. Transcripts of a chaotic meeting between the Grandmaster and several guests punctuate the sisters’ alternating perspectives.
Come for the action, stay for the emotional depth. (Science fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: June 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-368-02225-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Marvel Press
Review Posted Online: March 30, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
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