Kill Baxter - Softcover

Charlie Human is a denizen of South Africa’s speculative fiction scene. His short story, ‘The Immaculate Particle’, appeared in Pandemonium: Stories of the Apocalypse, and ‘Land of the Blind’ was printed in the UK version of ZOO CITY by Lauren Beukes. He has an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Cape Town.

Gr 9 Up—You would think that after 16-year-old half-breed magician Baxter Zevcenko saved the world, folks would be a little more grateful, but not so. Instead, he is sent away to Hexpoort, a reform/military school version of Hogwarts, to gain better control of his limited magical ability. He immediately runs afoul of the school bully, who may or may not be the Chosen One. After the school is attacked, Baxter will have to get a lot better a lot faster if he's going to have any chance to survive, let alone save the world again. This is the second book in the series and has a good deal to recommend it. Set in South Africa, it follows a similar track as the "Harry Potter" books and pokes fun at its similarities, but Baxter's world is profane, dark, and violent with rampant drug and alcohol use as well as sexual situations. The writing is fast-paced and occasionally funny, and the characters are interesting and often unique. On the down side, at times, Human loses the voice of his characters and they sound much older or out of place. Baxter's choice to be a better person and his struggle with the results and consequences of that plotline also seem contrived at times. These issues, however, do not take away from the overall story, which is generally a fun ride. VERDICT A solid choice for older teens who may have found Harry Potter a little too tame.—Erik Knapp, Davis Library, Plano, TX