09/27/2021
A young ritualist with an outsize sense of duty attempts to hold her own in Cajoleas’s (Minor Prophets ) rambling frontier fantasy. For the residents of an unnamed desert outpost within Darkling Valley, all that keeps them safe from lurking supernatural force The Great Doom are Grandpa Widow and orphaned protégée Gustavina Mithridates Pearl—Gussy—two protectors tasked with performing granular daily Rites meant to ward off infection. When Grandpa Widow is summoned by the powerful Council of Protectors, Gussy is charged with shielding the town on her own, a task that becomes exponentially more precarious after she in a sympathetic moment that directly violates a Rite—opens the town gates after dark, welcoming a lone girl in during a terrible desert storm. Gussy’s belief structure and colloquial narration dominate the novel’s languid first act. Though secondary characters lack the detail of Gussy’s daily rituals, Cajoleas gracefully builds to a rousing climax, portrayed alongside a refreshingly positive message of grit, gumption, and community. All characters are cued as white. Ages 8–12. Agent: Jessica Regel, Foundry Media. (Nov.)
"The magical, Old West–flavored setting stands out, and Gussy’s folksy voice matches it well. Offers a distinctive setting, a creepy magical threat, and a whole lot of heart." — Kirkus Reviews
"Cajoleas gracefully builds to a rousing climax, portrayed alongside a refreshingly positive message of grit, gumption, and community." — Publishers Weekly
"Gussy narrates with a down-home storytelling flare that, along with her candid attitude, makes her a real pleasure to spend time with. Cajoleas threads interesting ideas about religion and respecting nature through the narrative... Readers interested in character and world building will find Gussy’s town well worth visiting." — Booklist
"Gussy’s colloquial narrative voice is compelling, highlighting her deep sense of justice and responsibility for her community. Younger fantasy fans will appreciate the world building that slowly reveals details suggesting a foreboding Wild West setting." — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
"Gussy narrates with a down-home storytelling flare that, along with her candid attitude, makes her a real pleasure to spend time with. Cajoleas threads interesting ideas about religion and respecting nature through the narrative... Readers interested in character and world building will find Gussy’s town well worth visiting."
"Gussy’s colloquial narrative voice is compelling, highlighting her deep sense of justice and responsibility for her community. Younger fantasy fans will appreciate the world building that slowly reveals details suggesting a foreboding Wild West setting."
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
"Gussy narrates with a down-home storytelling flare that, along with her candid attitude, makes her a real pleasure to spend time with. Cajoleas threads interesting ideas about religion and respecting nature through the narrative... Readers interested in character and world building will find Gussy’s town well worth visiting."
11/01/2021
Gr 4–7— Part fantasy, part dystopian tale, this is a unique, genre-bending story of friendship, trust, and found families. Gussy is a determined, independent girl who is in training as the protector of her village out in the desert. The Great Doom has been fought off by her Grandpa Widow for many years, so when he suddenly gets called away, Gussy is left to defend the town against this dark and magical force. The biggest rule of them all is not to open the gate after dark, so when Gussy does (to save a life), she has to face the repercussions. Gussy's strong personality and unwavering commitment to her grandfather, against common sense, may turn off some readers. There are also points in the story where the characters become possessed by the Great Doom, which switches this story from fantasy and dystopian to pure horror, with humans crawling on top of the ceiling and hissing. Even with repetitive plot points, the story moves along quicker in the second half, and there is a happily ever after for all the characters that will leave readers satisfied. VERDICT Fans of fantasy and horror may enjoy this unique tale, but some shortcomings may cause it to fall flat for others.—Erin Decker, Discovery Intermediate School, Altamonte Springs, FL
Narrator Chloe Dolandis finds all the lyrical rhythms in this magical yarn. Gussy’s role as apprentice Protector of her desert town is put to the test when Grandpa Widow leaves on sudden business. Dolandis gives just the right twang and optimistic grit to Gussy as she tries to perform the rites and mysteries that keep the Great Doom outside the village gates. Doubts fill Gussy's mind after she breaks the rules, letting a lost girl past the gates in the middle of a storm and the Doom begins to crop up in her neighbors’ homes and shops. Ritual and belief are tested in the ensuing battle between good and evil that blows open the town's darkest secrets. S.T.C. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
DECEMBER 2021 - AudioFile
Narrator Chloe Dolandis finds all the lyrical rhythms in this magical yarn. Gussy’s role as apprentice Protector of her desert town is put to the test when Grandpa Widow leaves on sudden business. Dolandis gives just the right twang and optimistic grit to Gussy as she tries to perform the rites and mysteries that keep the Great Doom outside the village gates. Doubts fill Gussy's mind after she breaks the rules, letting a lost girl past the gates in the middle of a storm and the Doom begins to crop up in her neighbors’ homes and shops. Ritual and belief are tested in the ensuing battle between good and evil that blows open the town's darkest secrets. S.T.C. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
DECEMBER 2021 - AudioFile
2021-09-15
Gussy, short for Gustavina, has been raised by Grandpa Widow to take up his mantle of Protector of their desert village. This means being able to precisely perform all of the Rites that keep the Great Doom that lurks outside the village at bay. When Grandpa Widow is summoned away, Gussy’s left to be sole Protector. The first night, she breaks the most important rule, opening the gate at night to save the life of a strange girl trapped in a storm. Gussy has to keep mysterious Angeline a secret while also holding her town together and trying to live up to the responsibility with which she’s been burdened. Worse, it seems like someone is sabotaging the Rites, increasing the risk from the Great Doom that is always waiting for a chance to slip in. Gussy must figure out who to team up with and who isn’t trustworthy if she’s to defend the town. The threats get increasingly dangerous until all players show their cards and there’s a full reckoning of old lies and debts coming due. The magical, Old West–flavored setting stands out, and Gussy’s folksy voice matches it well. A few surnames imply diverse ethnicities; most primary characters seem to default to White.
Offers a distinctive setting, a creepy magical threat, and a whole lot of heart. (Fantasy. 8-12)
