The shifting landscape of seventh grade combines with the unseen magical battles in the nearby woods.
Every Bird a Prince by Jenn Reese
Henry Holt, 2022
ISBN 978-1250783448
Read from library copy. Ebook and audiobook available on Libby.
Eren Evers loves riding her bike through the woods near her house, finding it the best way to clear her head. Especially lately, when her two best friends have decided they’ll declare their crushes to each other. Eren doesn’t have or want a crush, but she does want to keep the friends who have been her anchor for years, so she decides to say that she has a crush on Alex Ruiz based on an analysis of all the boys in class.
When she’s struck by a partly-frozen bird during her ride, she’s drawn into an age-old struggle between the animals and the evil wolf-like beasts made of ice known as the Frostfangs. Normally, the battle against them is carried out without human knowledge, but now, the bird kingdom is the last one standing. The bird, who introduces themself as Prince Oriti-ti, asks Eren to be a champion for all the birds against the Frostfangs.
Soon, Alex is involved, too – her analysis having been correct in finding they’d have a lot in common, even if there are still no feelings. But as they train their strengths to fight the Frostfangs, they find that the frost of self-doubt is spreading throughout the community to their parents and teachers, visible only to the two of them because of their work with the birds. They were only supposed to have to save the birds – but now, Eren and Alex will have to find a way to keep them away from their friends and family as well. This grows increasingly difficult, as one of the main effects of the Frostfangs’ self-doubt on adults is to make them more authoritarian and punitive. And if Eren keeps blowing off her friends to spend time with the birds, will she still have friends to go back to?
This is a satisfying adventure with cute and spirited birds and terrifying monsters, blended perfectly with the ever-present friendship struggles of middle school, as romance becomes more of an issue. Here, part of the battle is both Eren and Alex figuring out that what they want for themselves isn’t something they’ve been able to be honest with either with themselves or their friends – a sensitive and age-appropriate exploration of non-hetero sexualities.
There are still not nearly enough middle grade fantasies out there from these perspectives, and this has more than enough to appeal to kids looking either for epic contemporary fantasy or middle school relationship issues.
Here are a few more recommendations for contemporary middle grade fantasy with LGBTQ protagonists:
Okay, so the finish line was last night, and I was exhausted and trying to squeeze in the last bit of reading I could and put off reporting on it until today. I read about 3 hours on Saturday and 6 or 7 hours on Sunday (I was keeping track as carefully then.) Here’s what I finished:
It’s the End of the World and I’m in My Bathing Suit byJustin A. Reynolds
Scholastic, 2022
ISBN 9781338740226
Read from library copy.
Eddie Holloway, age 12, has promised his mom he’ll be a responsible kid this summer, including taking care of his laundry. He thinks that strategically wearing all his clothes so that he only has to do laundry once is a genius idea, even if he’ll end up doing laundry in his swim trunks. . His mom disagrees. That’s how he ends up home alone in the dark, creepy basement while the rest of his family – and most of the neighborhood – is at the Beach Bash on Lake Erie.
Fortunately, when power and cell phone reception cut out across the neighborhood, there are a few other kids left at home – his best friends Xavier and Sonia, as well as middle school basketball star Trey and his little sister Sage. Together, the kids entertain themselves, scrounge for snack food, learn more about themselves, and try to figure out when might be the right time to start worrying about their grown-ups.
It might sound ironic to say that this is a fast-moving book where very little happens, but that’s just the way it is. Eddie is a fast-talking kid with ADHD whose brain races all over the place, sometimes hilariously listing the reasons why laundry should be considered criminal, other times explaining why his stepdad can never replace his deceased father, and others imagining completely over-the-top dialogues between the Universe and the Universe Itself about how fun it is to find ways to torment Eddie.
We’re over 100 pages in before the power outage that the kids are considering the end of the world takes place, yet I was too busy laughing at Eddie to be bored. And underneath all the humor is real feeling, acceptance of difference, and character exploration. I will definitely need to read the next book to find out what happens next! This would be a great one to hand to fans of The Last Last Day of Summerby Lamar Giles.
Valentina Salazar is NOT a Monster Hunter by Zoraida Cordova. Read by Ana Osario
Scholastic Audio, 2022
ASIN B09VCW6L85
Listened to audiobook on Hoopla
I just realized that both of these books have a kids processing the death of their father as a major theme…
In this book, the titular Valentina, age 11, has grown up traveling with her family in a wonderful souped-up camper van named the Scourge, homeschooling and looking for magical creatures to send back to the magical realm of Finisterra where they belong. That all ended when her father was eaten by an oropuma they were trying to rescue. Now they’ve moved into his deceased Aunt Ersilia’s house in Missing Mountain, New York, where Valentina is just not able to give up looking for new cases, as her family has made her promise to do. She’s not fitting in at school, trying to hide the orphaned and talking magical creature she’s kept as a companion, and frustrated that her once-close family has split off into individual bubbles.
But when she sees a video livestream of an oropuma egg waiting to hatch – attracting more and more viewers by the hour – she’s determined to find a way to rescue it before its secret is spread to the world. She’ll have to escape her uncle’s side of the family – the side that hunts magical creatures down rather than protecting and rescuing them. But she’ll also grow closer to her family, and meet both lots of magical creatures and many of her on-line friends from her kids’ magical creature group. This is a fantastically fun adventure, with thoughts about finding your circle of care and standing up for your beliefs, even against those more powerful than yourself. It’s a great one for fans of other magical animal books, like the Unicorn Rescue Society series.
I also got halfway through Those Kids from Fawn Creek by Erin Entrada Kelly, and started The Last Fallen Moon by Graci Kim on audio. I didn’t break any records, but I had fun reading and seeing what everyone else was reading. Let’s do another one next year!
It’s been quite a while since Mother Reader hosted her beloved 48-Hour Readathons, so I’m very excited that Karen at Ms. Yingling Reads is hosting one this weekend! Naturally, even though I worked Friday and have a baby shower on the other side of the state on Saturday , I had to sign up. I don’t expect to break any records, just have a lot of fun.
Here’s what I have lined up to read:
I first heard about It’s the End of the World and I’m in my Bathing Suit by Justin A. Reynolds from Betsy Bird at a Fuse #8 Production. I had to wait a while to get it from the library, but it’s a perfect time of year to read it!
Just being by Erin Entrada Kelly is reason enough to read Those Kids from Fawn Creek.
“Inner-city magic school” was enough for me to say “Yes, please!” to an ARC of A Taste of Magic by J. Elle, coming out in August.
I read about this book in Bookpage and purchased it for the school media center based on that review. Now I want to read Answers in the Pages by David Levithan for myself!
I don’t honestly know much about Zia Erases the World by Bree Barton apart from seeing it pop up regularly in the weekly round-ups at Charlotte’s Library, but it was on the shelf at the library when I did a mad dash checking out books in case I might not have enough to fill the weekend. I can be optimistic, right?
And just because I needed even more to read, and heard good things about it from Your Tita Kate, I checked out Nura and the Immortal Palace by M.T. Khan from Libby.
I’m currently listening to Valentina Salazar is NOT a Monster Hunter by Zoraida Cordova on Hoopla based on Charlotte’s review.
And finally, my next-in-line audiobook is The Last Fallen Moon by Graci Kim, sequel to The Last Fallen Star.
I’m sending good reading vibes to everyone else participating! And there’s still time to join up if you’re interested.
Here’s another lovely Thai-inspired historical fiction/fantasy book from Christina Soontornvat, whose earlier books A Wish in the Dark and All Thirteen won Newbery Honors the same year. (It looks like I never got around to reviewing All Thirteen, but it was impressive and engrossing!
The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat. Read by Sura Siu.
Candlewick, 2022.
ISBN 9781536204957
Listened to audiobook on Libby.
Sai first learned calligraphy being forced to help her conman father forge documents, but with luck and hard work, she has found a position for herself as the apprentice to the last mapmaker in the city. This involves a double life – at work, she pretends she is the fully middle class girl about to go through the coming-of-age ceremony where she names her ancestors back generations. But in the slums of home, she has to hide her apprentice uniform and her earnings from her father lest he take them away.
When the Queen announces a prize for the ship able to find and map the possibly mythical Sunderlands, Sai is determined to join. Not only will it take her away from her father, but it will also give her a path to earning a secure place for herself in respectable society. Slowly, she finds her away among a crew that’s resistant to her, and begins to wonder why it is that Master Paiyoon, the mapmaker, was so reluctant to undertake the journey. The ship’s captain, too, is an experienced woman only journeying at the Queen’s command, though her young First Mate is enthusiastic and friendly to Sai. There’s also a young pickpocket/stowaway whom Sai finds more sympathetic than she feels she ought.
This story packs an amazing amount into a relatively short space. Of course there’s the high seas adventure, and life on board a ship filled with colorful characters. But Soontornvat gives Sai’s father a rounded personality instead of making him a simple villain whose only role is is to give Sai the impetus she needs to start her journey. There’s also a strong anti-colonialism and environmental message, as well as themes of forging one’s own destiny and found families. I kind of did see a plot twist coming, but as I’m a much more experienced reader than the target audience, I’m not going to hold that against the book. This is a fantasy world with no magic, with the possible exception of a dragon. (Is it magical, or just nature in the alternate world?)
I was sadly less impressed by the narration – acceptable, but some of the character voices were hard to tell apart and there were a few distracting mispronunciations. These were mostly minor distractions, and the audiobook is still a fine option for those who have a strong preference for that format. All in all, this is another impressive showing for Christina Soontornvat.
There have been so many fantastic new magic school stories coming out that soon I will be able to make a new Magical Middle School list! In the meantime, here’s the latest I’ve read.
The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton
Henry Holt & Co., 2022
ISBN 9781250174949
Read from library copy.
Ella Durand has grown up near New Orleans in a magical family that practices the traditional arts of Conjure. Up until now, though, Conjure has been considered somewhere between lesser and downright wicked by the rest of the magical community, since they specialize in guiding people through the afterlife. The other community’s members call themselves Marvellers, and call the white light of their inner power starlight. Though Ella is proud to be a Conjurer, she’s also joined her father in dreaming of an integrated future. To that end, she’s enrolling at the Arcanum Training Institute, a sky-borne boarding school for Marveller youth.
Her work is already cut out for – to show that Conjure is a legitimate discipline and that she can learn traditional Marveller practices as well. But she’s working against a mountain of prejudice – her first set of roommates have her moved to a new room while she’s sleeping at night, and professors give her demerits for behaviors they let slide with other students. Ella isn’t happy about being given a guide, either, but fellow first-year Jason, Black like her, but youngest in a large family of Marvellers, is friendly and persistent, as well as good with the adorable magical creatures of the Arcanum. Her new roommate, blond Brigit, is prickly with having been summoned to the Arcanum without any knowledge of what’s going on. Despite the general aura of mistrust, her advisor, elixirs professor Masterji Thakur, is kind and supportive.
(I should also note that many of the professors, good and bad, have at least the last names of real authors – the welcome letter, for example, is signed by Laura Ruby, while one less pleasant teacher is named Nabokov. This did lead me to Google some unfamiliar names to see if they were authors or not, but whether this is delightful or distracting is up to you.)
Then, things start going wrong both inside and outside the Arcanum. Brigit is desperate to get back to her old life despite her clearly magical knitting skills while Jason’s beloved and adorable magical creatures are falsely accused of mischief. Though the adults tell Ella to keep herself safe, she knows that she might have the only clues to what’s going on, and will be expelled if she can’t solve the mystery. Can the three of them combine their skills to save the day?
Any magical school story will inevitably draw comparisons to Harry Potter, just as portal fantasies will be compared to Narnia. But as you, discerning reader, undoubtedly already know, it takes more than a magic school setting to live up to Harry Potter. The school must have that perfect balance of whimsy and tradition, with room for the young reader to see themselves attending. The characters must have emotions and character arcs are believable no matter how outlandish the circumstances, and of course, they must save the day in a dramatic and satisfying way.
So does The Marvellers live up to that? It certainly has a more inclusive student body – I loved that while Ella’s Conjure tradition is looked down upon, there are many well-regarded Black and brown students from places like Africa and India. Even without Conjure, the Arcanum is already a far more diverse place than Hogwarts ever was. I felt like I still wasn’t quite sure enough of the nuances of the magical houses to say off the bat which one I would belong to, but I’m definitely open to learning more about that in future books. It’s also filled with magic that would be delightful to experience, from the animated food to the stellacity-powered transportation. So far, the villain isn’t quite as horrific as Voldemort – but I’m really just fine with that. I really did like all three of our main characters as well as Ella’s family. I’d say this is an outstanding option to give kids who are either looking for more like Harry Potter or wanting to avoid J.K.’s nuttiness altogether. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more of Ella’s journey through the Arcanum!
For more magical school adventures, try Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston or the Elementals series by Amie Kaufman, beginning with Ice Wolves.
Are any of you surprised that I was very excited to get the chance to read a queer love story with fantasy elements?
The Loophole by Naz Kutub
Bloomsbury, 2022
ISBN 978-1547609178
Review copy kindly provided by the publisher. Ebook and audiobook available on Libby.
Sayyed – who goes by Sy at his coffee shop job for accessibility reasons – has just about exhausted the patience of his best friend, the buff and sparkly Dzakir, with his constant mooning over his ex-boyfriend. As the story opens, though, he sees a young woman crash into the door and slide down it. When he’s the only one to help her instead of taking photos, she grants him three wishes. Once he’s convinced that she can actually grant some of them – and his abusive father finally finds out that he’s gay and kicks him out – he decides track down his love, Farouk, and try to win him back. Farouk hasn’t been in contact with either Sayyed or his own family, but the mysterious benefactor, Reggie, is sure that by following the last traces left on his social media posts, they’ll be able to find him.
This leads to a world journey, starting with traveling to London from California and continuing on to multiple other countries. Along the way, we see Sayyed’s deep attachment to Farouk, symbolized by the ring he hasn’t taken off even after the breakup. But we also see their earlier relationship, from first dating to supporting each other and then Farouk’s growing depression. And during the travels, Sayyed has to deal with not only the prejudice against his being gay from his family, but also wide-spread difficulties in travel as a young Muslim-appearing man.
These grim moments are balanced with plenty of humor, much of it coming from Reggie, who is impulsive and over-the-top, partly as a result of her hard-drinking, high-adventure lifestyle. And in between Sayyed’s past and present, we get pieces of the ancient story of separated lovers Hamza and Delima, helped by a djinn to find each other in the underworld. This story sheds some light on the question of whether Reggie is just a rich heiress or a genie, and also foreshadows the ending of Sayyed’s story (at least for this book.)
For despite the pink cover and Reggie’s slapstick antics, this is not a traditional romantic comedy. The ending is one that makes sense for the characters, but wasn’t the one I was hoping for. Sayyed learns more about himself, what’s important to him, and how he himself contributed to the breakup, even if he doesn’t get the answers he thought he was looking for. This was a satisfying story, entertaining to read but with plenty of thoughtfulness and real-life difficulties behind the fantasy. I look forward to reading more from Naz Kutub.
Sometimes adventure comes in the form of epic fantasy quests – but sometimes, it’s trying something new, making a goal happen, meeting someone new, or moving to a new neighborhood. Here are five wonderful picks perfect for summer reading for those who like their adventures on the realistic side.
The Boys in the Back Row by Mike Jung. Levine Querido, 2020. ISBN 978-1646140114. Read from library copy. Audiobook available on Libby.
Matt (Korean-American) and Eric (white) have been friends since fourth grade. Now they’re in middle school, and Matt has switched from playing flute, which he loved, to percussion, so he could sit near Eric in the back. But Eric is going to be moving away at the end of the school year, and the boys come up with an elaborate plan to escape from the band competition at an amusement park to the comic con taking place at the same time nearby, where their favorite author will be signing his books.
That plan is convoluted and precarious enough to be highly entertaining on its own, but the book is filled with so much more. There are bullies who frustrate Matt and Eric by calling them gay as an insult – they aren’t gay, but there’s nothing wrong with being gay – and the bullies have secrets that keep them from being one-dimensional. Matt’s parents are hippy, Unitarian Universalists who talk about mansplaining and social justice while eating kale and quinoa (guilty as charged!) This is a delightful and rare story that celebrates geekiness and male friendship.
Stand Up, Yumi Chung! by Jessica Kim. Kokila, March 2020. ISBN 978-0525554974. Read from library copy. Ebook and audiobook available on Libby.
Yumi lives in Los Angeles under the shadow of her big sister Yuri, a successful med school student. Yumi’s expected to do the same, but she struggles at private school and secretly longs to study comedy, like her favorite young YouTube comedian Jasmine Jasper. Yumi is also stressed about her family’s failing Korean barbeque restaurant. Even though her parents are spending money they can’t afford to send her to hagwon – an expensive tutoring school – Yumi sneaks into a comedy summer camp for kids her age that’s happening close to the public library, where she’s supposed to be studying her algebra. There she finds that another Asian student hasn’t shown up, and Yumi is able to take her place. The summer camp is great – she makes good friends with two of the kids she meets there and improves her comedy skills. But what will happen when all her lies come crashing down around her? This is both hilarious and heartfelt, and should resonate with kids who dream of YouTube success.
The Only Black Girls in Town by Brandy Colbert. Little, Brown, 2020. ISBN 978-0316456388. Read from library copy.
Alberta – Al – is a surfer girl growing up with her two dads in a mostly white California beach/tourist town. So far, she’s hung out with fellow surfer Oliver Guzman and her BFF Laramie, and is tormented by fellow surfer girl Nicolette, who’s always saying that Alberta’s surfing awards aren’t earned and who unhappily lives right across the street. Now, though, Laramie has inexplicably started spending more time with Nicolette than with Al. So when a new girl who’s also Black moves into the B&B on the corner, Al is really hopeful that she might be a new friend. Edie, though, is a black-clad New York City girl who feels way too cool for Al. More change comes in the form of Al’s bio-mom, a good friend of her dads, coming to stay for a few months. Into all this comes a mystery, as Edie and Al discover forgotten journals in the attic of the B&B and start to uncover a mystery about the previous owner. In the process, both girls learn about what it means to be Black and how to fight society’s weird assumptions.
Ways to Grow Love by Renée Watson. Bloomsbury, 2021. ISBN 9781547600588. Read from library copy.
It’s the summer after fifth grade for Ryan Hart, and all the normal summer plans have been canceled due to her mom’s pregnancy. There are not even enough library books to keep her occupied! Short, funny story arcs link together to form an album of summer memories – beating the boys at water balloon fight, getting up in the middle of the night and eating all the pickles in the house; the excitement of overnight church camp tempered with the unpleasantness of Ryan’s best friend Amanda inviting mean girl Red into their cabin, and the joys of picking out a name for her new baby sister. This is just delicious, and would make a great family read-aloud or a book for advanced younger readers as well as for kids around the fourth and fifth grades.
Operation Sisterhood by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich. Crown Books for Young Readers, 2022. ISBN 9780593379899. Read from library copy.
Bo has lived alone with her mother in an apartment for as long as she can remember. She hates school, but outside of that, she loves baking with her mother and babysitting for her young neighbor Dougie.
Everything changes when her mother remarries and moves both of them in with her new husband, Bill, who lives in a large brownstone with another family (Bill uses wheelchair.) Bill has a daughter the same age as Bo, Sunday. The other family has twin girls, Lee and Lil, also the same age. All the kids are “free schooling” and the household includes a menagerie of animals, including a dog, cats, a turtle, a bearded dragon, and a couple of chickens. And while all of this is exciting and the other girls are eager to welcome Bo to their sisterhood, it’s also a lot for an introverted girl used to having her mother to herself. Even as older dreams seem impossible, Bo pushes herself to start a new project with her sisters: organizing a block party that will celebrate Mum and Bill’s wedding (since they couldn’t afford a ceremony), hopefully help the neighborhood warm up to their rowdy household – and possibly even showcase the band the girls are putting together (even if the band is partly just to keep an old neighbor lady from complaining every time they practice different songs at the same time.)
This story hearkens back to classic stories of large families, from All-of-a-Kind Family to the Penderwicks, while adding a refreshing Harlem setting, a modern blended family, and a celebration of Black history, culture and joy. I loved every minute of it. (And I loved that The Boys in the Back Row had a character reading Rhuday-Perkovich’s earlier book Two Naomis, while one of the girls here reads The Boys in the Back Row.)
Have you read any of these? Are there any you’d add to this list?
I loved Claribel Ortega’s Ghost Squad, and was so excited to see a new books from her come out! This book reads slightly older, but still has an appealing mix of friendship, danger and magic.
Witchlings by Claribel A. Ortega
Scholastic, 2022.
ISBN 9781338745528.
Read from library copy.
The biggest milestone for 12-year-old witchlings in the contemporary-feeling magical town of Ravenskill is being assigned to a coven at the Black Moon ceremony. Seven Salazar and her best friend Poppy have long dreamed of being in Hyacinth Coven. But on the fateful evening, only Poppy makes it into Hyacinth Coven, while Seven and two other girls are left-over Spares, doomed to have stunted magical powers and be left out of mainstream society for the rest of their lives.
Without even consulting the two other girls – rich Valley Pepperhorn, who’s tormented Seven her whole life, and timid new girl Thorn Laroux – Seven invokes the Impossible Task, so that she and the other two girls can be granted full coven status and be allowed to keep using their magical powers. But that leaves three girls with rudimentary magic skills who don’t know or trust each other to hunt down the fearsome Nightbeast that’s terrorizing Ravenskill and the nearby towns.
The premise here felt a little bit flawed at first – why and how would a society decide to fail its young people out of the magical system even if they were competent magic users? Why three children every year? Did this make sense at some point in the past, or was it originally envisioned as a way to create a servant class? But as I read, it seemed more and more that discovering the injustice in a system that was so familiar that Seven had never thought to question it before was the point.
Besides this issue, the story was fantastic. I loved Seven’s supportive parents and her giant baby brother, Beefy. I enjoyed that the town was run by the Gran and the Uncle instead of a mayor, and that life in Ravenskill is filled with details both contemporary and magically whimsical (like toad racing), drawing the reader into it. Seven’s struggles with friendship felt true to life, as she struggles to maintain her friendship with Poppy after they end up in different life situations, and has to learn to get along with and appreciate people she never would have chosen to associate with on her own. Meanwhile, the plot is twisty and dangerous enough to make for an exciting read that stops just short of being too terrifying. I’m look forward to reading many more books by Claribel Ortega! Dare I hope for more in this world?
Catfishing on Catnet was one of my favorite books of 2021, though I sadly never got around to reviewing it. Still, I was recently telling a friend about it, and that prompted me to go track down the second volume. I’m so glad I did! This review cannot avoid spoilers from the first book, though I tried my best.
Chaos on Catnet by Naomi Kritzer
Tom Doherty, 2021.
ISBN 9781250165220
Read from library copy.
Steph is just getting started at a new high school in Minneapolis under her real name for the first time ever, after the events of Catfishing on Catnet. CheshireCat, the friendly AI who helped her, is stressed about an anonymous message it’s received. Steph’s classmate Nell has just been removed from a cult, after the disappearance of first her mother and then her girlfriend, and is even more traumatized and skittish than Steph.
But all is not well in Minneapolis, where tensions are rising despite some new community-building apps that everyone seems to be playing – and Nell notices that both the deeply conservative Christian app she used to use to contact her girlfriend and the Mischief Elves game (how fun does that sound?) the kids at school play have nearly the same interface. Could it be coincidence that these are happening at the same time that CheshireCat has been contacted by what appears to be another, perhaps sinister, AI?
As with Catfishing on Catnet, Kritzer balances the fast-paced plot, full of danger and twists, with deep and supportive friendships and an exploration of escape from an abusive situation – in this case, the difficulty of leaving a community that had felt like home, even after realizing that it was harmful. But in the meantime, stopping the end times will require a lot of work on the part of CheshireCat and its teen friends – including CheshireCat inhabiting some robot dogs, giant snow sculptures, a valiant rescue, the shock of moving from a conservative household to a polyamorous one, a reimagined Minneapolis police force, and a newly-met car-racing grandmother.
The first book in the duology won lots of awards, but I still feel like these books are underappreciated, at least at my library, considering how fabulous they are. Y’all need to go read these, people, so maybe she’ll write more of them.
Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future by A.S. King also has visions of the near future dominated by religious extremism, while (in the same post) The Living by Matt de la Peña is another teen thriller with excellent character development.
I was first introduced to Emerson’s work with his Cybils finalist Last Day on Mars, and went on to read the rest of the series, so I was very excited to have a chance to participate in the blog tour for this book and share it with you, dear readers!
Drifters by Kevin Emerson.
Walden Pond Press, 2022.
ISBN 978-0062976963.
Review copy kindly sent by the publisher.
About the Book
From the acclaimed author of the Chronicle of the Dark Star comes a riveting mystery, perfect for fans of Stranger Things, about a girl who sets out to find her missing best friend—and discovers her small town is hiding a dark, centuries-old secret.
Jovie is adrift. She’d been feeling alone ever since her best friend, Micah, left her behind for a new group of friends—but when Micah went missing last fall, Jovie felt truly lost.
Now, months later, the search parties have been called off, and the news alerts have dried up. There’s only Jovie, biking around Far Haven, Washington, putting up posters with Micah’s face on them, feeling like she’s the only one who remembers her friend at all.
This feeling may be far closer to the truth than Jovie knows. As strange storms beset Far Haven, she is shocked to discover that Micah isn’t just missing—she’s been forgotten completely by everyone in town. And Micah isn’t the only one: there are others, roaming the beaches, camped in the old bunkers, who have somehow been lost from the world.
When Jovie and her new friend Sylvan dig deeper, they learn that the town’s history is far stranger and more deadly than anyone knows. Something disastrous is heading for Far Haven, and Jovie and Sylvan soon realize that it is up to them to save not only Micah, but everyone else who has been lost to the world and set adrift—now, in the past, and in the future.
About the Author
Kevin Emerson is the author of Last Day on Mars and The Oceans Between Stars, as well as The Fellowship for Alien Detection, the Exile series, the Atlanteans series, the Oliver Nocturne series, and Carlos Is Gonna Get It. Kevin lives with his family in Seattle. You can visit him online at www.kevinemerson.net.
My Take
Drifters is big, meaty book, with interesting and well-developed characters. It has a relatively complex structure, with sections of the main narrative divided by reports of “trials” in 1898, 1962, and 1994. The main narrative, in turn, is split between Jovie’s story, in 2018, and Sylvan’s story in 2022, though both characters appear in each others’ stories. This inspired more curiosity than confusion in me – what were the trials? How would the stories eventually link up?
The comparison to Stranger Things is apt, as people are disappearing, but only the children seem to realize that something is really wrong. The adults know that things aren’t good, but more or less unconsciously believe that it’s their own fault for living in a dead-end town like Far Haven. There’s mist and darkness, unusual friendships forged in extreme circumstances, and a creeping feeling of dread and time running out.
Underneath all of the dealings with the supernatural is a very real look at the harm that isolation and depression can cause. Jovie (who, like the other main characters in the book, appears to be white) herself has been in a tough place since her parents divorced, leading to financial and food insecurity as her mother works two full-time jobs. She’s now searching for Micah in the few minutes she can squeeze out around school and her own part-time job. Trying to support a friend in crisis while still dealing with your own problems and avoiding isolation yourself is a tricky balancing act, even if there are no supernatural elements involved – but I’d argue that reading about within this setting is a lot more fun.
The only real fault I could find in this book is the length – 560 pages is a lot for less proficient readers. Fortunately, it’s also available on audiobook, for those who (like my kids) find that format easier. For readers like my child self, whose main problem was running out of reading material, spending more time with these characters is a positive.
alibrarymama 