SEPTEMBER 2016 - AudioFile
Thérèse Plummer’s charged narration brings to life this fantasy tale of dread and terror. Plummer deftly switches between teens August and Kate, whose rival fathers have split their city over their different methods of controlling the monsters that have overrun it. Whether voicing defiant Kate or introspective August, Plummer projects an element of fear, reminding listeners that the truce between the two parts of the city is fragile—and that monsters lurk around every corner. As the action of the audiobook speeds up, Plummer matches her pacing to keep listeners engaged through every violent turn of events. E.M.C. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
05/09/2016
It’s been 12 years since the supernatural “Phenomenon” that fractured V-City, transforming violent acts into physical monsters: the Sunai, who feed on the souls of sinners; the vampiric Malchai; and the animalistic Corsai, who feed on fear. August, a rare Sunai, has been taken in by the Flynn family, which keeps chaotic South Verity safe. Callum Harker runs North Verity with an iron fist, using the Malchai and Corsai as his hammers; his daughter, Kate, is determined to prove to her father that she’s as ruthless as he is. August is asked to spy on Kate at her new school, but a rebellion is brewing, and Kate and August form an unlikely alliance. Schwab (The Unbound) has built an strange, captivating alternate America filled with offbeat, fascinating characters. August uses his violin to make feeding more bearable, struggling to accept himself as a “monster,” and Kate’s attitude and swagger mask a vulnerability that she’s loath to reveal. Readers looking for a dangerous and engrossing new world to fall into will find it with this fast-paced, frightening read. Ages 14–up. Agent: Holly Root, Waxman Leavell Literary. (July)
From the Publisher
A violently thoughtful, brilliant triumph of a book that will blind you with its genius.” — Gaby Salpeter, Books of Wonder
“There are no wasted words here, and the end result is a darkly precise narrative that feels like a shiver down the spine…this taut creation about the nature of humanity lingers long after its disquieting finale.” — Booklist (starred review)
“Schwab’s latest seems poised to grab both her adult and teen readers; the world is fascinating…the characters complicated, and the political machinations and emotional depths both charged and compelling. …Crackling with energy, just the ticket for an all-night read.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Schwab explores the natures of justice and humanity in an assuredly built world with a compelling settings and an intriguing music-based magic. And in August and his Sunai siblings, she introduces a type of monster both sympathetic and terrifying. A cliffhanger ending promises a sequel.” — The Horn Book
“Kate and August both undergo an impressive amount of character development, and fans will like them despite their flaws. Combined with the nonstop action and the author’s immersive writing style, this first purchase is sure to be a hit with older teens and fans of urban fantasy.” — School Library Journal
“Schwab has built a strange, captivating alternate America filled with offbeat, fascinating characters. …Readers looking for a dangerous and engrossing new world to fall into will find it with this fast-paced, frightening read.” — Publishers Weekly
“The pacing is fast, the narrative enthralling, but it is the depths of the novel - its acuteness of moral imagination and perception - that will stay with you afterward. My highest recommendation.” — San Diego Union-Tribune
“Gritty dialogue and realistic scenes of violence will have senior high school students who enjoy The Hunger Games and Divergent series awaiting the next book in this series.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
“Unique, thrilling, and impossible to predict, This Savage Song is something entirely new, and fans of YA will want to seek out this dark and powerful novel. ...Schwab has written a book with moments of cruelty and bleakness that also includes high adventure and heroic achievements.” — Locus
Gaby Salpeter
A violently thoughtful, brilliant triumph of a book that will blind you with its genius.
Booklist (starred review)
There are no wasted words here, and the end result is a darkly precise narrative that feels like a shiver down the spine…this taut creation about the nature of humanity lingers long after its disquieting finale.
Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
Gritty dialogue and realistic scenes of violence will have senior high school students who enjoy The Hunger Games and Divergent series awaiting the next book in this series.
San Diego Union-Tribune
The pacing is fast, the narrative enthralling, but it is the depths of the novel - its acuteness of moral imagination and perception - that will stay with you afterward. My highest recommendation.
Locus
Unique, thrilling, and impossible to predict, This Savage Song is something entirely new, and fans of YA will want to seek out this dark and powerful novel. ...Schwab has written a book with moments of cruelty and bleakness that also includes high adventure and heroic achievements.
The Horn Book
Schwab explores the natures of justice and humanity in an assuredly built world with a compelling settings and an intriguing music-based magic. And in August and his Sunai siblings, she introduces a type of monster both sympathetic and terrifying. A cliffhanger ending promises a sequel.
School Library Journal
05/01/2016
Gr 9 Up—In a dystopian future, evil deeds begin spawning three kinds of monsters who wreak havoc in human cities; Corsai are created by nonlethal violent acts, Malchai by murders, and Sunai from mass murders. This novel takes place in one such city, which is divided into two parts. Kate Harker's father rules one side by using the monsters as an army and selling protection to residents who can afford it. On the other side, the Flynn family strive to eliminate the Corsai and Malchai by utilizing the deadly talents of the three very rare Sunai who have become part of their family. When Kate returns to the city after being expelled from a slew of boarding schools, August, the newest Sunai, is sent undercover to her elite private school to keep an eye on her. However, the two become unlikely allies when August is framed for an attack that would threaten their fragile peace. This first installment in a planned two-book saga can be described as a postapocalyptic urban fantasy with a Romeo and Juliet theme. The plot unfolds very quickly, with more twists and turns than an average thriller. The budding romance between the main characters is predictable, but Kate and August both undergo an impressive amount of character development, and fans will like them despite their flaws. VERDICT Combined with the nonstop action and the author's immersive writing style, this first purchase is sure to be a hit with older teens and fans of urban fantasy.—Sunnie Scarpa, Wallingford Public Library, CT
SEPTEMBER 2016 - AudioFile
Thérèse Plummer’s charged narration brings to life this fantasy tale of dread and terror. Plummer deftly switches between teens August and Kate, whose rival fathers have split their city over their different methods of controlling the monsters that have overrun it. Whether voicing defiant Kate or introspective August, Plummer projects an element of fear, reminding listeners that the truce between the two parts of the city is fragile—and that monsters lurk around every corner. As the action of the audiobook speeds up, Plummer matches her pacing to keep listeners engaged through every violent turn of events. E.M.C. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2016-03-30
Natural enemies find themselves reluctant allies in a war-torn, monstrous future.Schwab's latest seems poised to grab both her adult and teen readers; the world is fascinating (if sometimes a little thin—education and technology are almost exactly the same in this future), the characters complicated, and the political machinations and emotional depths both charged and compelling. The scene: an isolated supercity in former middle America, populated by the evil Corsai and Malchai and the more complicated Sunai, who can kill only those who have killed (and must do so regularly to maintain their semblance of humanity); all have been born from moments of violence. Against this, Kate Harker (fair-haired, partially deaf, inclined to arson and spying) returns to appease and impress her father, who controls the Malchai and half the city. Across town, Sunai August (seemingly 16, black haired and gray-eyed, a monster who tries to be human) wants his adoptive father's side to succeed in creating a better world. Family and interpersonal dynamics, questions of good and evil, horrifying monsters (some of them human), and moments of violence both graphic and poetic serve as backdrop to a growing sense of kinship between Kate and August, who want a better world—but probably won't get one, based on the zinger of an ending.Crackling with energy, just the ticket for an all-night read. (Futuristic fantasy/horror. 15 & up)
