A nuanced take on learning to fix yourself rather than fixing others.
A young woman struggles to regain her footing after walking in on her mother and the boy she’s loved since childhood.
It’s been five months since Jill Whitaker found her best friend, Sean Addison, in a compromising position with her mother. The day after, she found only a Post-it note; her mother was gone. Now, Jill’s left in a quiet house with a wounded father and unable to forgive Sean, the boy she’d dreamed of marrying since they were children. She spends her days in her father’s auto shop, trying to keep the mood light. One night, while sitting on the roof to escape the summer heat, Jill notices her new neighbor get into a violent argument with his mother. She throws a can of soda to distract them, breaking their window and subsequently sparking a slow-burning relationship with the boy, Daniel. The two lean on each other, sharing difficult stories of their parents. Only Daniel’s not in high school like Jill; he’s 21, and his scars run deeper than hers. As Jill defines her feelings for both Daniel and Sean in a clear, introspective voice, her mother returns, sending her into a tailspin. Each character’s pain is fully realized, and in spite of the love triangle, it’s facing the uncomfortable truths of damaged mothers that forms the pulse of the story. All the characters appear to be white.
A nuanced take on learning to fix yourself rather than fixing others. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 25, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-373-21240-8
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Review Posted Online: Aug. 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2016
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
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