Thoughtful and affirming.
A Toronto teen questioning their gender finds friendship and support among other queer students at their new school in this feel-good, #ownvoices debut.
At Logan Osborne’s old school, their slight frame and feminine appearance made them a target for bullies. But when Logan, who is Chinese and white, transfers to Rosedale School for the Arts at the start of grade 11, they meet a group of friends who are openly queer and embrace Logan for who they are. There is Robin, who is white, bisexual, and trans; Micah, Robin’s Jewish boyfriend; Drew, who is asexual homoromantic; and Jennifer, who is Chinese/white/Afro-Guyanese, fat, and queer. With their friends’ encouragement, Logan begins to ponder the reasons behind their discomfort with being one of “the guys”—are they trans? At the same time, they find themselves developing a crush on Kyle, an attractive tenor of Japanese descent who tells Logan about his two dads but is less forthcoming about his own sexual orientation. The book’s present-tense narration brings readers up close and personal with Logan as they process their thoughts about gender identity and gender presentation. Dialogue between the teen characters is authentically earnest, awkward, and funny, minus the occasional use of slang that may feel dated. Short chapters and simple, direct prose keep the pages turning and make the book accessible to reluctant readers.
Thoughtful and affirming. (resources) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4594-1411-2
Page Count: 168
Publisher: James Lorimer
Review Posted Online: May 15, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2020
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
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
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