The Mirrored Shard

Gr 7 Up—In this conclusion to the series, Aoife Grayson is stuck in Thorn Land, which is populated by the Fae. The teen is destined to be the Gateminder, a person with the gift of creating "Gates" to other realms, but she is mired in a deep emotional hole of guilt. Aoife blames herself for her boyfriend, Dean, being stuck in "Deadland" and opening a Gate that plunges the world into an epidemic. It takes a couple of chapters for her to get a grip and for the plot to get going. However, once the action does pick up, Aoife's primary focus is on rescuing Dean while saving the world from an apocalyptic ending brought about by the "Old Ones," with reconciling with her family coming in at a distant second. Readers who enjoyed the details of the earlier books will find this final title more streamlined. The previous novels also have more steampunk elements in them; this installment, in contrast, leans more toward dark fantasy. On her journey, Aoife shows maturity and learns to put others' needs before her own. The various plotlines all come together in the end, but with the Old Ones' threat to return, Kittredge creates an open ending, leaving room for spinoffs. Purchase where the other volumes are popular.—Sabrina Carnesi, Crittenden Middle School, Newport News, VA