A suspenseful and absorbing thriller with well-developed characters.
In Masters’ YA novel, a University of Florida student’s dive into her family’s mysterious past proves dangerous.
As the story opens, 18-year-old Piper Covington is on a Gainesville, Florida, bus on her way to her off-campus apartment when a stranger approaches her. He hands her an envelope, allegedly from her recently deceased inmate father—a man Piper has never known and whom she believed died before she was born. It turns out that the late Henry Hennessy left her a key to a safety deposit box that contains an apparently sentimental item. However, what Piper really wants to know is if she’s truly a Hennessy. The only family she knows is her mom, who manages a local horse farm, and although she isn’t exactly the warmest of parents, why would she lie about her father’s death? And was he really the abusive “monster” that she made him out to be? Piper takes a closer look at the Hennessys, including their family estate, and tries to make sense of her past. Soon, it’s clear that someone is following her. Masters’ sharply defined cast energizes the story, which thrives on characters’ secrets and dubious intentions. Piper is sympathetic but withdrawn, mostly due to an overbearing mother who pushes her toward a career in veterinary school. Her general sense of distrust is perfectly understandable, as shady people seem to constantly surround her. Although Piper desperately craves a family, the author makes clear that she already has one, including her charismatic childhood friend and roommate, Mia Martínez, and her own fiercely loyal dachshund, Frank; in addition, Mia’s mom’s longtime boyfriend Leo, a dog-training police sergeant, treats Piper like a daughter. Scenes are often exciting, and as a legal dispute seeps into the narrative, they become increasingly dialogue-heavy. Rounding out the tale are dual romantic interests for Piper and a final act that, while largely predictable, is consistently intriguing.
A suspenseful and absorbing thriller with well-developed characters.Pub Date: June 29, 2024
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 302
Publisher: Barred Rock Books
Review Posted Online: April 23, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.
In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me, three characters tell their sides of the story.
Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind. (author’s note, content warning) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781728276229
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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