Solstice
Is it facile to term a novel about earth inexorably cooking to death an admirable slow-burn of a read? Because that’s what Hoover accomplishes as she nicely balances multiple genres, dovetails classical mythology with contemporary global-warming fears, and generally takes her time tying things together. High-school student Piper knows there’s something her boyfriend, Hades, is keeping from her, and she sets out to explore the Underworld (and near-future Austin) for clues. Gradually, it becomes clear that this is one of those gratifying reading experiences in which few narrative details are wasted: everything means something. Sure, the answer to the central mystery of just who Piper really is may be guessable by those familiar with the Greek pantheon. Yet how Hoover connects such archetypal characters to familiar YA figures, such as the “clingy Mom,” is cleverly insightful. The only problem concerns the need to keep Piper herself in the dark—consequently, she sometimes comes across as more shallow than we know her to be. Still, this is a debut novel that consistently delivers. Grades 9-12. --Peter Gutierrez