Publishers Weekly
07/08/2024
After his father loses his job and the family moves to a farm belonging to “aunt or a second cousin” Nana Susan, 10-year-old aspiring ornithologist Xavier T. Fletcher’s passion for bird-watching leads him to discover a strange tear in the sky. He also encounters enigmatic tween Clementine, who he’s devastated to learn has been shooting birds out of the sky with a slingshot. Clem assures him that it’s her job—her family has been secretly guarding the spot for years—and that the avians aren’t birds but creatures from inside the rend, “the place between This Side, where we are, and the Nother’s Side.” And if Clem can’t stop the birdlike critters from leaving the Nother, Xavier, his family, and the natural world will be in grave danger. In her middle grade debut, Maxwell (the Last Magician series) presents through a realistic lens an approachable, magical adventure that’s reminiscent of A Wrinkle in Time. Alongside examinations of ecological conservation, Maxwell paints a textured portrait of complex familial dynamics via Xavier’s tumultuous relationship with his family, conveying how these interactions—including Xavier’s older brother’s bullying and his parents’ refusal to acknowledge it—impact Xavier’s trust. Main characters read as white. Ages 8–12. Agent: Kathleen Rushall, Andrea Brown Literary. (Aug.)
6/1/2024 - Booklist
"The enthralling story employs delightfully precise and sophisticated language to conjure a disquieting countryside setting that feels both cozy and menacing in turn. Xavier makes for a charming and compassionate companion, and the complicated familial relationships feel eminently relatable. A pleasurable page-turner with style and suspense to spare."
Kirkus Reviews
2024-05-04
A boy’s knowledge of birds becomes essential when his friend goes missing during a war against destructive forces.
After his father loses his job, Xavier T. Fletcher and his family move in with Nana Susan on her goat farm. Xavier is skittish around the herd but happy to have space for bird-watching, even though his family mocks his hobby. One day, he’s shocked to see the sky rip open and a magpie fly through the Rend, holding a marblelike object in its beak. Neighbor girl Clem Branham reveals that an ongoing battle’s underway between our world and the cold, dark Nother. The birds are Carriers, and the marbles, or Crumbs, are like seeds that sow decay in people’s souls and in our land. Clem and her family are Keepers of the bees that labor to catch Carriers. But with the bee population in decline, Clem risks her safety to catch Carriers and inactivate the Crumbs by immersing them in sugar or honey. Xavier finds it hard to suspend disbelief even as he witnesses the consequences of this struggle. With the balance tipping in favor of the Nother, the tension builds—and Clem goes missing. Xavier can help, but his ability to act and persuade others is key. The worldbuilding is tight in this eerie take on the battle between good and evil with a distinct message about the environmental impact of human activity. Characters are cued white.
Searing and satisfying. (Fantasy. 8-12)
