Warm and witty.
Margaret Dashwood gets her day in the sun in this tropical contemporary spin on Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility.
Five years ago, trauma shook the Dashwood sisters when the death of their father was compounded by one sister’s heartbreak-fueled car crash. In the time since, eldest sister Elinor and middle sister Marianne have each seemingly achieved their own versions of happily-ever-after, leaving Margaret, who’s now 18, to carve a niche for herself from the disparate examples they’ve set. Still deeply affected by the frightening events of their family history, the youngest Dashwood has hewed closely to Elinor’s sensible example, repressing the giddier, more romantic impulses she associates with “tornado of chaos and energy” Marianne. Joining Elinor and her husband on a Caribbean cruise over the summer before college, Margaret has plans for a drama-free, romance-free vacation—until Marianne’s unexpected arrival throws a wrench in the works. Add to that Gabe Monteiro, a frustratingly handsome young crew member, and Margaret’s careful boundaries blow away with the salty breeze. Quain moves the story along with ease and charm, spinning a tale that’s as much about the love between sisters as the intrigues of unexpected romance. Characters and key themes maintain the Austen connection, but Margaret’s journey of healing from trauma and accepting herself is a Quain original. The Dashwoods are cued white; Gabe is Brazilian American.
Warm and witty. (Fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: July 16, 2024
ISBN: 9781250907530
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: April 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
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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