(2) 4-6 Almost-fourteen-year-old Keedie, an autistic girl, is loyal, creative, funny, rebellious, arrogant, a passionate defender of the underdog, and her own worst enemy, equal parts clear-eyed and totally misguided. In this prequel to the well-received A Kind of Spark (rev. 11/21), McNicoll loops back for another perspective on Keedie and her small-town Scottish family: parents; twin sister Nina; and younger sister Addie (the first book's protagonist). Keedie and Nina have hit adolescence, and their former close relationship has frayed. Their parents are kind but distracted. Teachers just don't understand her. Social life is a minefield of mysterious unwritten rules and cues, alliances, and cruelties. In an attempt to root out bullying at school, Keedie sets up a business, charging victims a fee to confront their tormenters, a plot strand that is both uncomfortable and hilarious as we readers thrill to the frisson of revenge even as we know its inevitable pitfalls. Keedie is highly articulate, and she has a lot to say, resulting in a talky novel that veers toward a nonfiction introduction to autism spectrum disorder. But its strength lies in that very voice. Keedie is not a generic example of neurodivergence but rather a convincingly real and individual character, negotiating the challenges of growing up in her own off-center and slyly charming way.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2025

(2) 4-6 Ramya (Like a Charm, rev. 11/23) has been sent to Loch Ness to study witchcraft with her aunt, but when her cousin Marley arrives, they learn that Portia, a siren who previously broke up Ramya's family, has taken over the city and is ruling it with her persuasive voice. Told to let the adults handle it, Ramya nonetheless sneaks out at night with Marley to investigate reports of fae in the area and discovers new friends, including a dragon that can carry the cousins to Edinburgh to check on the city under Portia's rule. They also encounter a menacing creature that can mimic anything: if Portia were to project her magical voice from the mimic's impersonations, she would be almost unstoppable. One strength of the narrative is McNicoll's championing of friendship, which surfaces in several subplots, and an even greater feature is the way she weaves Ramya's dyspraxia into the story line: the condition makes Ramya clumsy and inarticulate at times, but constantly being underestimated gives her a chip on her shoulder that affects the ways she interacts with other characters. Though her stubbornness may be a great asset, she has to overcome her attitude block before she can succeed. Bucking the trend of middle-grade adventure stories, in this one the adults handle the problems so that the kids don't have to -- but young readers will still find lots to identify with in this exciting, imaginative novel.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2025

(2) 4-6 In the aftermath of her estranged grandfather's death, Rayma is bequeathed a mysterious book and the cryptic message "Beware the Sirens." She subsequently discovers she has the ability to see through Glamours ("a magical shield...that supernatural beings use to disguise themselves") and detect the occult inhabitants of Edinburgh, Scotland. Rayma finds it hard to get along in her special school (she has dyspraxia, a neurodevelopmental condition that affects gross and fine motor skills), and her emotionally absent parents don't help her adjust to her learning differences. The mission her grandfather left her, to document the Hidden Folk and unite them in one community, gives her a sense of purpose. The Sirens, however--no longer bound to the water but able to use their powers of manipulation to cause division and strife in society--are making the world colder and meaner, and Rayma is the only one who can stop them. A decidedly unaffable protagonist, Rayma is nonetheless sympathetic, determined to value herself despite the pressures her academic challenges have placed on her prickly personality. Her insistence on focusing on her strengths in a world that only sees her deficits is admirable. With a plot that emphasizes family reunification, and unexplored avenues including a mysterious Stranger who guides Rayma, McNicoll leaves herself plenty of room for possible sequels to this passionate, solidly constructed middle-grade fantasy.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2023

(2) 4-6 In this middle-grade sci-fi tale set in the near future, twelve-year-old Cora meets Adrien (and his wealthy family) at a grown-up party. Both children are neuro-diverse: Adrien has ADHD, Cora is autistic, and they bond over a shared love of adventure and the feeling that neurodiverse people shouldn't have to change what makes them unique to be accepted. Adrien's father runs Pomegranate, a company that creates holograms to give its customers a chance to hobnob with celebrities and revisit loved ones--a concept that appeals to Cora, who would love to be able to interact with her recently deceased mother. But after a devastating accident, Cora discovers that Pomegranate has flattened Adrien's neurodiverse traits to make him seem more neurotypical. Horrified by the "digital eugenics," she makes it her mission to expose the corporation's deception and cruelty, while coming to terms with her own perceptions of death and grief. Adrien and Cora are smart and funny characters who make relatable the work of navigating life in an often-unsympathetic world. McNicoll's suspenseful story has a lot to say about what makes a person worthy of respect.

Reviewer: Sarah Berman | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2022

(2) 4-6 Protagonist Addie is a girl with autism who is on a mission. Learning about her Scottish village's history of witch trials in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, Addie is moved to persuade the civic powers-that-be to create a memorial to the victims of those witch hunts. In parallel with this project Addie deals with her own challenges, from a malevolent teacher to a mean former best friend, and develops a metaphorical bond with historical characters who, like herself, were pilloried for being different. Many readers, on and off the spectrum, will relate to Addie's physical sensitivities, her pleasure in taking a deep dive into a single research subject, and her stress at trying to pass as "normal." As Addie says, "I spend every moment of my life, when I am outside our family home, second-guessing everything that I think and do." The writer (autistic herself) busts some myths about neurodivergency as she presents a flawed, loving, believable family and a convincing, nuanced, and very likable main character with a distinctive voice.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

(4) YA Adopted as a baby by Canadian parents, fourteen-year-old Paige wonders about her birth family in China and struggles with her cultural identity. When she gets hit by a train she finds herself transported to a surreal afterlife, where she is given an opportunity to re-live her life. While Paige's teenage voice can feel awkward, her dilemmas are rendered with genuine emotion and sensitivity.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello