A thinly drawn summer romance saved by its protagonist’s self-actualization.
When her longtime boyfriend suddenly dumps her, a girl embarks on a mission to get over him by kissing 26 boys.
Before even removing his cap and gown, Mark breaks up with Veda to be free from romantic entanglements in college. Veda is devastated, and it’s painfully clear to her best friends, Seth and Mel. Before Veda can waste her summer crying in bed, Mel formulates a plan to help her move on: Veda will kiss 26 boys, one for each letter of the alphabet. At first, Veda’s shocked, but soon she warms to the idea. It’s not long before she’s found a string of boys with names to fill her list. Along the way, however, she gets to know Killian, a boy who shares the same summer job and a penchant for George Bernard Shaw. He’s nothing like Mark, and his warmth and enthusiasm bring her back to life. As Veda’s feelings for Killian grow, so does her resolve to finish the challenge. She’s going to kiss the alphabet no matter how charming Killian is, no matter how it affects her reputation. Thwarted by a fluffy premise with too many boys with odd names, Veda’s story reads as contrived, stocked with a bland cast of characters with no notable diversity. But she eventually finds her footing and runs toward the person she needs to learn to love the most: herself.
A thinly drawn summer romance saved by its protagonist’s self-actualization. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 24, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-5246-5
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 16, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 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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