Quintessence

April 1, 2020
Fantasy with a STEM infusion. Alma has what her family calls "episodes," or panic attacks, and her parents are worried. They've recently moved to Four Points, and they really want Alma to fit in. She doesn't. But when she sees a flyer for Astronomy Club, she knows it'll please her parents, and so she goes. There are only two other kids when she gets there: Hugo, who doesn't attend regular classes because he's very advanced (and also socially awkward), and Shirin, who is the first person to notice that the flyers seem to have been very specifically placed to attract these particular children. Then there's the ShopKeeper, whose store is never open but whom Alma is always running into--and who always seems to know what she needs to do next. What's next is convincing her friends that the other night, Alma saw a star fall from the sky, and as it fell, it became a person--a Starling. This complicated setup gives way to a quest involving astrophysics and cosmology, as the children sneak around town trying to put together all the elements required to send a star back to the sky where she belongs. Both Alma's severe anxiety and panic attacks and Hugo's social ineptitude are portrayed sensitively, not as jokes. Alma is white, Hugo appears black, and Shirin is Persian American. This won't fly off shelves, but it'll be just the right mirror for a very particular reader. (Fantasy. 8-12)

COPYRIGHT(2020) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

April 6, 2020
A girl suffering panic attacks after her family moves to a new town finds purpose when she’s lent a special telescope that allows her to witness a star falling to Earth in child form. To help the Starling recover its power and return home, 12-year-old Alma Lucas and her new friends, including supersmart but socially awkward Hugo and multitalented, popular Shirin, must collect and unite pristine samples of the four classical elements—earth, air, fire, and water—from locations around the town of Four Points. But with a bully on their tail, the Starling proving difficult to catch, and Alma’s episodes increasing, this quest won’t be easy. Mixing modern science and alchemical traditions, Redman (The Miraculous) delivers a fanciful adventure with a rich emotional core and a fairy tale flair. An emphasis on Alma’s mental health and circular thought patterns proves an effective complement to the story’s magical elements, as her new endeavor and friends grant her the resilience to navigate her needs. Reminiscent of Neil Gaiman’s Stardust, this is a clever, entertaining story with its own distinct identity. Ages 8–12. Agent: Sara Crowe, Pippin Properties.

June 26, 2020

Gr 5-8-When unconventional Alma, who loves to be outdoors and wear dried flowers in her hair, moves from Old Haven to Four Points, anxiety, negative self-talk, and panic attacks set in. Indeed, Alma grows to be a deeply depressed recluse until a flyer for an astronomy club at school sparks curiosity. Through a borrowed quintescope, a unique telescope, Alma sees a girl fall from a star into her backyard, setting in motion a true quest and personal journey. Alma and her stargazing comrades must work together to save the "starling" and find themselves along the way. Alma's story will set readers' imaginations alight. This quirky novel mirrors its main character with its distinctive and spunky narrative voice. Readers will decode passages from the fallen star's perspective to reveal plot clues, and eagerly observe Alma beginning to create a positive self-image. Short chapters keep the story moving at a quick clip. At times the adventure seems too easily fulfilled, quickly closing doors and lessening connections to the plot. Similarly, the conclusion seems overly optimistic. However, readers will appreciate that Alma's panic attacks and depression are openly addressed with her family-perhaps that's the true quest. VERDICT Will appeal to science fiction adventurers with its unique voice and lively plot, but may not leave them thirsting for more. Recommended as a fresh addition to the science fiction tween genre.-Mary-Brook J. Townsend, The McGillis Sch., Salt Lake City

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2020
Grades 4-7 In the wake of moving to a new town, 12-year-old Alma seems to have lost herself. Depression and the sudden onset of panic attacks worry her parents, who have been pushing her to acclimate, but when Alma happens upon an old, abandoned curiosity shop, a strange old man gifts her with a magical telescope, a mysterious quest, and sudden purpose. After a star?in the form a child?falls from the sky into Alma's backyard, she understands that she must help the celestial being return to its home in the heavens and, in doing so, connect with new friends?and reconnect with herself. Redman's (The Miraculous, 2019) sophomore novel is a cozy contemporary fantasy that balances fresh, cosmic world building with painful personal challenges?in this case, panic attacks and the struggle of acclimating to a new home. Short chapters and tight pacing keep things moving at a brisk clip, and readers will no doubt enjoy following Alma and her new friends on their fantastical treasure hunt of sorts. A warm, engaging adventure.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)