These Vicious Masks

January 1, 2016

Gr 8 Up-This latest from the Swoonreads online crowd-sourcing effort is a Victorian love story with a healthy dose of the supernatural. Evelyn Wyndham and her sister Rose are wearily making the rounds of dances and parties that comprise British society when Rose suddenly disappears after a ball. Over her parents' objections, Evelyn travels to London to search for her sister with the help of the moody and mysterious Sebastian Braddock and the charming and sardonic Mr. Kent. As she follows the clues to her sister's whereabouts, she begins to unravel secrets about those closest to her and soon discovers that she and Rose possess powerful gifts. Her search ultimately unveils a hidden world of people with supernatural abilities-a world in which some use their gifts for good and others work unspeakable evil. This tale has brisk pacing, plenty of action, and a heroine with more than her fair share of girl-power confidence. The secondary characters, of which there are many, come off rather stereotypical, and the story itself could benefit from greater development of the setting and background information. Nevertheless, this Regency-style romance meets "The League of Extraordinary Gentleman" superhero adventure will delight many teens. There is little doubt that there will soon be many more admirers yearning for the sequel that Shanker and Zekas set up in the final pages. VERDICT Recommended for upper junior high and high school readers who enjoy superhero tales with a twist.-Kelly Kingrey-Edwards, Blinn Junior College, Brenham, TX

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2016
Grades 8-12 As girls in nineteenth-century England, Evelyn and her sister, Rose, are expected to attend balls in the hopes of landing a good marriage. Rose knows she would rather be helping people as a doctor than dancing, but Evelyn isn't sure what she wantsjust a way out. When Rose disappears, after whispers of healing powers surround her, Evelyn grows desperate to find her, and in the process, she finds out she too has some extraordinary abilities. Striking a strong balance between romance and mystery, this novel captures society's rules just as well as it does the unbelievable powers of the main characters. Readers will easily be swept up in its fast pace and sympathetic narrator, who is filled with both self-doubt and the resolve to do anything to protect those she loves. This is a perfect pick for someone who wants a little magic in their Victorian novels, and its combination of historical fiction and mysticism will remind readers of Libba Bray's Gemma Doyle trilogy.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)