From School Library Journal
Grade 6-9-Chasing Kevin, a bully from her old neighborhood, teenaged Amy skates under an archway in Central Park and finds herself in the Fayre Farre, a fantasy land that the boy has created to escape his ugly "real" life. There, he is no longer Rotten Kevin, but Kavian Prince, the Promised Champion, destined by prophecy to free his people from the evil sorceror Anglower. Charnas plays the Fayre Farre as both real and metaphorical. Anglower, when he appears for the Final Battle, is the phantom of Kevin's abusive father; after a brisk fight, he is ultimately defeated in a tangle of thorny roses. Several subplots, including Amy's struggle to cope with a favorite relative's sudden death, and frequent shifts of mood or scene, give the story a crowded feel, but the author's sly digs at the heroic fantasy genre are on the mark, and Kevin makes an unusual hero. He's whiny, sullen, and self-centered, but also a tragic figure with a nascent sense of responsibility-he elects to stay in his newly liberated kingdom, and is last seen worrying about the ethnic strife developing between the elves and the semihuman Branglemen. Readers can sift through the whimsy for serious themes, or not, as they choose.John Peters, New York Public LibraryCopyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Kirkus Reviews
Amy, 14, is roller-skating in Central Park when Kevin, a tough Irish kid from her old neighborhood, suddenly runs by and pins onto her jersey a trinket he took from her long ago. Running after him, she passes through an arch and into the kingdom that Kevin has created to escape his father's brutality. There, Amy is drawn into Kevin's struggle with his archenemy Anglower, returning to the real world to bring Kevin a magic sword. In the end, Kevin defeats Anglower, who turns out to be a reincarnation of his brutal, drunken father. Amy returns home, but Kevin stays in his kingdom. Charnas blends tough, gritty young New Yorkers who have real problems--Kevin's dad, Amy's recent loss of a beloved cousin--with the standard elements of troll-and-mole fantasy. The mix is uneven, but it does make an engrossing story. (Fiction. 12+) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Card catalog description
Amy is drawn into a dangerous and disturbing fantasy world in Central Park, created as an escape from an abusive father by Kevin Malone, a bully from Amy's neighborhood.
Kingdom of Kevin Malone ANNOTATION
Amy is drawn into a dangerous and disturbing fantasy world in Central Park, created as an escape from an abusive father by Kevin Malone, a bully from Amy's neighborhood.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Amy is drawn into a dangerous and disturbing fantasy world in Central Park, created as an escape from an abusive father by Kevin Malone, a bully from Amy's neighborhood.
FROM THE CRITICS
The ALAN Review - Hazel K. Davis
Charnas combines adventures in a fantasy world with real-life problems of child abuse, friendship, and coping with the death of a loved one. Fourteen-year-old Amy, a reader of fantasy, follows Kevin Malone, her childhood tormentor, into Fayre Farre, the imaginary world he created for himself as a child to escape his father's beatings. Charnas' irreverent treatment of other fantasy adventures makes for delightful reading. There are monsters, prophesies, magic, action, and bloodshed galore. The ending is somewhat satisfactory as Amy finally accepts the death of her cousin, and Kevin vanquishes his enemy, his father, at least for now. Charnas entertains the reader while getting in some good points about the cycle of child abuse. The Kingdom of Kevin Malone should appeal to a wide audience.
School Library Journal
Gr 6-9-Chasing Kevin, a bully from her old neighborhood, teenaged Amy skates under an archway in Central Park and finds herself in the Fayre Farre, a fantasy land that the boy has created to escape his ugly ``real'' life. There, he is no longer Rotten Kevin, but Kavian Prince, the Promised Champion, destined by prophecy to free his people from the evil sorceror Anglower. Charnas plays the Fayre Farre as both real and metaphorical. Anglower, when he appears for the Final Battle, is the phantom of Kevin's abusive father; after a brisk fight, he is ultimately defeated in a tangle of thorny roses. Several subplots, including Amy's struggle to cope with a favorite relative's sudden death, and frequent shifts of mood or scene, give the story a crowded feel, but the author's sly digs at the heroic fantasy genre are on the mark, and Kevin makes an unusual hero. He's whiny, sullen, and self-centered, but also a tragic figure with a nascent sense of responsibility-he elects to stay in his newly liberated kingdom, and is last seen worrying about the ethnic strife developing between the elves and the semihuman Branglemen. Readers can sift through the whimsy for serious themes, or not, as they choose.-John Peters, New York Public Library
BookList - Sally Estes
Charnas melds the world of the teenage problem novel with that of fantasy in a story that pokes gentle fun at the conventions of fantasy fiction. Bereft at the untimely death of her beloved aunt and confidant, Amy goes roller skating in Central Park with her best friend, Rachel. Suddenly, someone bumps into Amy, pinning a rhinestone rose on her sleeve--the very pin that her aunt had given her and that Kevin Malone, the neighborhood bully, had stolen from her years earlier. Amy gives chase and, skating through the arch of a bridge, finds herself in the Fayre Farre, a world Kevin has created and peopled with all sorts of fantasy creatures in order to escape his abusive father. Here, Kevin is prince and Promised Champion, destined to save the land from the evil White One. However, Kevin's creation has gotten away from him; he's ill-prepared, and a prophecy not of his making says that the help of three princesses is needed to "bring the prince worthily to his throne." The action is fast paced as Amy brings two friends and a pocket knife/magic sword into Fayre Farre and events move inexorably to the final confrontation. The juxtaposition of Central Park and Fayre Farre is nicely done, adding to the sense of mystery, which is also conveyed in the attractive, beckoning shaded black-and-white frontispiece and chapter heading illustrations. Though the somewhat quick acceptance of magic by all three girls is not quite believable, Amy is a convincing and likable heroine, and Kevin, in all his emotional frailty--tough exterior, internal vulnerability--rings true.
Art & Photography
Book Info
