Kiki Strike Inside the Shadow City
by Kirsten Miller
Published by Bloomsbury Publishing
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Reviewed by Andrea Sisco
(Now out in hard cover, paperback May 2007)
Ananka Fishbein doesn't fit in. She attends an elite private school, because her grandfather's will provides for her schooling. She doesn't, however, have the money or name that would give her an "in" with the other girls. She's pretty much friendless. Her parents are professional students and have little time or interest in their only child, so Ananka has a lot of free time.
After an enormous sinkhole appears near Ananka's New York City apartment, she decides to investigate. She climbs down into the hole and discovers a mysterious underground room. It's obvious that her discovery is important, but she has no idea how important. Ananka has discovered the long-forgotten Shadow City that exists under Manhattan's busy streets. The Shadow City was once home to the many scoundrels and misfits of Manhattan.
With the help of a book, the mysterious Kiki Strike (think teenage female James Bond with a touch of Harry Potter) and several delinquent Girl Scouts (each of whom has specific talents), Ananka embarks on the most exciting and dangerous adventure of her life. The girls must investigate the Shadow City and protect its existence from the evil that lurks in the city. If they aren't successful, they could all die.
Kiki Strike Inside the Shadow City is a unique novel that has enough intrigue and delicious evil (without graphic description) to keep the reader turning the pages. I love Ananka, an average teenager who is transported into an unusual situation and rises to the occasion. Kiki Strike is mysterious and the other girls have interesting talents that contribute to the plot.
The only criticism I have is I didn't really feel that I got to know the 'sidekicks.' I knew what they did, but didn't know them very well.
Armchair Interviews says: Kiki Strike has the makings of a series and kids and adults alike will eagerly await the next installment.
Author's Web page: http://www.kikistrike.com