Now a Major Motion Picture

February 1, 2018

Gr 8 Up-Iris Thorne is tired of living in the shadow of a grandmother she barely knew and tired of babysitting her eight-year-old brother Ryder. She accompanies Ryder to Ireland, where the movie adaptation of her grandmother's popular high fantasy book trilogy "Elementia" is being filmed. Iris dislikes fantasy and resents "Thornians," the Elementian fandom. That includes nerdy debut actor Eamon O'Brien and director Cate Collins, who has declared the series to be "the feminist answer to Tolkien's male-dominated world." But Iris gradually develops a crush on Eamon, a begrudging respect for Cate, and even an appreciation for fantasy. Meanwhile, Ryder's need to assert his independence from Iris's overprotection forces her to come to terms with her dysfunctional family dynamics and a recent trauma. Major side plots include Cate's challenges as a female movie director and actress Shoshanna's similar experiences with "winning the intersectional bingo," as she is neither white nor straight. This is simultaneously a whimsical teen romance (borderline saccharine at some points) and an emotionally compelling story about family, creativity, and courage. McCarthy delves into the backstories and motivations of most major characters, and Iris herself is a well-developed and complex protagonist with a believable blend of ambition, fear, and fierce loyalty. VERDICT With its adept characterization, positive messages, and appeal factors for fans of multiple genres, this is a first purchase for most YA collections.-Magdalena Teske, West Chicago Public Library District

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2018
A film set in Ireland provides the backdrop for some real-life drama.Iris Thorne only met her grandmother M.E. Thorne once, but her shadow still looms large. The elder Thorne wrote the Elementia trilogy, a feminist take on J.R.R. Tolkien. Iris' father despises the books, and she's avoided them herself in part due to the fanatical superfans--dubbed "Thornians"--who have invaded the family's life. When Hollywood mounts a big-budget adaptation of the first novel, Iris and her younger brother visit the Ireland-based production. There, Iris warms to Eamon, the unknown hottie cast as the film's co-lead. McCarthy (You Were Here, 2016, etc.) smartly doles out the details of the plot of Elementia, but a major conflict between Iris and her father is more frustratingly teased out until things finally click into satisfying gear. As Iris navigates her feelings for her father, grandmother, and Eamon, she spars with Cate Collins, the film's director and the novel's highlight. Every scene with Cate crackles with intelligent feminist reasoning that could easily have slipped into sermonizing but instead stays true to character. The novel spirals outward and upward, developing tertiary characters and tying everything together via its central theme, resulting in a dense but satisfying reading experience. All major characters are assumed white, but two of the film's stars are part Filipino.A war cry and a love letter all at once. (song list, glossary, map) (Fiction. 12-16)

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February 1, 2018
Grades 9-12 Iris Thorne, 17, is on her way to Ireland, and she is miserable. She is accompanying her younger brother Ryder to the movie set for Elementia, the adaptation of her grandmother's famous high-fantasy series. While that would be a dream come true for most teens, it is a nightmare for Iris, in part because of a bad experience with a rabid fan who tried to kidnap Ryder. Her grandmother's success has cost Iris and her family a degree of freedom and privacy, and Iris resents it. But it's hard to dislike the cast and crew of the movie, and Iris can't deny how happy Ryder is. Her transformation from an adversary to a supporter is gradual and natural as she understands how much she has allowed other people to control how she thinks and feels, especially about herself. Her epiphany is joyful and authentic. With a vivid cast of unique characters, the story is engrossing, right down to the sometimes wryly self-referential, on-point chapter titles. By the triumphant ending, Iris is ready to tackle her future.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)