Nightbreaker

July 17, 2023
In this gripping fantasy by Ma (the Shadow Frost trilogy), a teenager seeking vengeance for her parents’ murder by vicious monsters roaming a postapocalyptic Manhattan enters a cutthroat tournament in which the winner joins an elite group of monster hunters. N.Y.C. has instituted a strict curfew ever since bloodthirsty creatures called Deathlings appeared 15 years ago. But teenage Rei Reynolds regularly ignores the rule in favor of combating the monsters head-on, hoping to gain an advantage in the Tournament to join the Syndicate, a Deathling-fighting task force. But even with the experience her nightly excursions afford, her competitors are fierce, including Kieran Cross, an ex-boyfriend who ghosted her a year ago. But Rei is adamant to not let her feelings for Kieran derail her progress in the Tournament. As the competition advances, and as she contends with vicious foes, an ominous warning and the appearance of a mysterious artifact raises questions surrounding the event that plunged N.Y.C. into chaos. Though the supporting cast often feel like props, Rei is a smart and formidable protagonist whose motivations and struggles to separate her interpersonal issues from her goals, paired with elaborate worldbuilding and high-speed action, make for a nuanced series starter. Ages 14–up.

August 1, 2023
A teen seeks to destroy the monsters that hold her city captive. Fifteen years ago, a dense fog descended on Manhattan, and anyone caught in it disappeared, never to return. The Vanishing also spawned Deathlings, horrific, twisted monsters that kill at nightfall and crave sugary foods and human flesh. Chinese American Rei has been training to win the Tournament, the competition that is the path to joining the ruling Syndicate; that way, she can finally work to purge the city of the Deathlings that brutally slaughtered her parents. But in the televised Tournament, in which Rei begins to discover dark secrets, she cannot trust anyone--not even Kieran, the attractive ex-boyfriend who's pitted against her as one of the elite student competitors engaging in life-threatening tasks. While Rei's desolate New York City evokes disturbing reminders of the pandemic lockdown experience, details about the rise of the governing Syndicate feel too thinly fleshed out. Discussions of inequity in a setting where being unhoused brings a risk of falling prey to Deathlings add a realistic layer to the glamorized Tournament. Similarly, the population's shared losses and traumas give an extra dimension to supporting cast members who are otherwise underdeveloped due to the fast pacing and packed plot. The renewed romance between Rei and newly buff Kieran seesaws between insta-lust and heartwarming flashbacks, entertaining banter, and rebuilt trust. Gripping, grim, and entertaining despite feeling a bit formulaic. (Dystopian fantasy. 14-18)

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August 1, 2023
Grades 9-12 Fifteen years ago, Manhattan exploded. The subways caved in and famous landmarks disappeared, leaving the city a terrifying mess. Monsters called Deathlings spawned beneath the streets, and most citizens of New York lock themselves inside at night, effectively cutting themselves off from the rest of the world. But Rei, part of the Syndicate, is in training to hunt these monsters down; she sneaks out at night, luring the creatures in with sweet pastries and killing them with brilliant nitro-novae bullets. After killing 41 Deathlings in a year, she gets caught by her idol, Master Sasha, and is given entry to the Tournament, the only way to become a Syndicate Maverick and eventual Master. She must fight off other candidates and question everything before she comes out on top--if she comes out at all. Ma's descriptions of the sights, sounds, and smells of the city and its monstrous underground neighbors make the story really shine. Enthralling action scenes will keep readers hooked till the end.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.