A shiny bauble of mayhem sure to please Grisham’s many fans.
By the time Effie retrieves her dolls, much has been uncovered and she is the wiser and happier for it. Humorous and lighthearted, this successfully commits to the notion that, given time, love will prevail.
Gothic-inflected full-color illustrations rendered mainly in a palette of red, white, and black and influenced by Kunio Katou’s The Diary of Tortov Roddle, per a back matter note, follow earnest, deftly sketched characters and a fast-paced, lightly connected plot in this sprightly slice-of-life series opener. Ages 8–12.
The cinematic worldbuilding and wonderfully nuanced characters set this well-rounded eco-thriller apart. This is a winner.
The Art of Space Travel and Other Stories
Isolation emerges as a recurring theme, exemplified in the heroine of “Neptune’s Trident” as she slogs through life after society’s collapse, and the protagonist of the title story as she searches for her father. Allan’s character-driven, tangent-and-aside–laden style won’t be for everyone, but her consistency is such that anyone who enjoys one of these stories will likely enjoy them all.
"There is never a time or place for true love. It happens accidentally, in a heartbeat, in a single flashing, throbbing moment.
