Evocatively captures adolescent earnestness and idealism for living meaningfully.
Three Vancouver teens on the cusp of graduation set off to join a community on an island in British Columbia’s Gulf Islands.
The thought of going to The Evergreen has appealed to Olivia ever since she found the commune’s promotional brochure as a child. Disillusioned with the grind of modern life, Oli and her two best friends, Liam and Milo, agree to run away to live there together. A run-in with a bully on the penultimate day of high school and an initially unexplained conflict with Liam derail Oli’s original plan, however, leaving her without her backpack of supplies—and with Milo and Alvin, Milo’s crush, as her traveling companions. As they make their way across the island, Oli plows through obstacles—sustaining injuries, getting lost in the woods, and accidentally abandoning camping gear—with single-minded determination, brushing off the consequences of her impulsivity and conflict avoidance until they suddenly catch up with her. Visual references, including Oli’s flip phone, AOL Instant Messenger, and Milo’s camcorder, establish the 2007 setting. Oli’s frustration with the demands of capitalist society will resonate with contemporary readers. The portrayal of the teens, who are alternately goofy, angsty, brash, and self-conscious, is convincing, particularly in their banter and bickering. The illustrations use dynamic perspectives to emphasize moments of strong emotion, while monochromatic shading in muted colors conveys different moods. The characters are racially ambiguous; Oli’s mom has a Korean name.
Evocatively captures adolescent earnestness and idealism for living meaningfully. (land acknowledgment) (Graphic fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: March 5, 2024
ISBN: 9781774880739
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Tundra Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
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
A treat for mystery readers who enjoy being kept in suspense.
Everyone believes that Salil Singh killed his girlfriend, Andrea Bell, five years ago—except Pippa Fitz-Amobi.
Pip has known and liked Sal since childhood; he’d supported her when she was being bullied in middle school. For her senior capstone project, Pip researches the disappearance of former Fairview High student Andie, last seen on April 18, 2014, by her younger sister, Becca. The original investigation concluded with most of the evidence pointing to Sal, who was found dead in the woods, apparently by suicide. Andie’s body was never recovered, and Sal was assumed by most to be guilty of abduction and murder. Unable to ignore the gaps in the case, Pip sets out to prove Sal’s innocence, beginning with interviewing his younger brother, Ravi. With his help, Pip digs deeper, unveiling unsavory facts about Andie and the real reason Sal’s friends couldn’t provide him with an alibi. But someone is watching, and Pip may be in more danger than she realizes. Pip’s sleuthing is both impressive and accessible. Online articles about the case and interview transcripts are provided throughout, and Pip’s capstone logs offer insights into her thought processes as new evidence and suspects arise. Jackson’s debut is well-executed and surprises readers with a connective web of interesting characters and motives. Pip and Andie are white, and Sal is of Indian descent.
A treat for mystery readers who enjoy being kept in suspense. (Mystery. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-9848-9636-0
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2019
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