Publishers Weekly Review
This standalone fantasy from Houck (the Tiger's Curse series) focuses on 17-year-old witch Ember O'Dare and Jack, an immortal "lantern" whose soul resides inside a pumpkin and whose job it is to guard the crossroads linking the Otherworld to Ember's sleepy village of Hallowell. Lanterns mustn't leave their posts, but when roguish vampire Dev sneaks into the mortal realm and charms the witch into returning home with him, Jack follows-less to punish Dev for trespassing than to protect Ember, for whom he's developed feelings from afar. Jack and Dev aren't the only ones with designs on Ember: the Otherworld runs on energy derived from witches, making the powerful girl a priceless commodity. Houck's adventure, a take on the legend of Sleepy Hollow, suggests alternate origin stories for Halloween and various monsters. Regrettably, capable female characters are forced to share the page with moody, macho suitors and over-the-top villains-and the book's strengths (elaborate costumes, swoony romance, and a sumptuous, steampunk-inspired backdrop) fail to compensate for leaden pacing and murky stakes. Ages 14-up. Agent: Robert Gottlieb, Trident Media Group. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. |
School Library Journal Review
Gr 8 Up-This plot-driven, supernatural romantic thriller injects the moodiness of the "Sleepy Hollow" legend into a wild and seductive adventure. Jack made a deal with the devil 500 years ago and is serving a sentence guarding the portals to the Otherworld. When the stubborn, 17-year-old witch Ember O'Dare ignores Jack's warnings not to cross into the forbidden plane of the underworld, chaos ensues. Jack must do everything in his power to return Ember to the mortal world as the fates of the earthly and unearthly realms hang in the balance. Readers will find Ember brave, courageous, sexually confident, and independent. Likewise, secondary characters-like the mysterious and debonair vampire, Deverell-add to the emotional impact of Ember's journey into the dazzling futuristic, yet dangerous Otherworld. This epic, heart-pounding paranormal love story contains a little bit of everything-black cats, cauldrons, ghosts, trolls, spiders, mad scientists, werewolves, jack o' lanterns, vampires, pirates, skeletons, and more. VERDICT Recommended for fans of the author's "Tiger's Curse" and "Reawakened" series and a must-have for YA collections.-Angelina Bair, Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library, OH © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. |