A story about sexual assault that takes an unusual approach.
A girl struggles to understand what happened the night she was assaulted while one of the boys involved wrestles with the role he played.
The morning after a party, Erica wakes half naked in an unfamiliar room with the names of boys and lewd words written all over her body. The last thing she recalls is her hope for a blossoming new relationship with Thomas, the soulful lacrosse player she’d been crushing on since she transferred to her new high school. Relieved not to find Thomas’ name on her body, Erica tries to make sense of what happened and avoid the humiliation of everyone else finding out before she does. Meanwhile, in alternating segments, Thomas attempts to repress his own memories of his involvement in what transpired. Before long, graphic photos and videos start to circulate among their classmates, causing ripple effects that affect their relationships and their mental health as Thomas grapples with his guilt and Erica’s despair deepens. Weighty themes of sexual assault, bullying, and suicidal ideation are conveyed through Erica’s and Thomas’ extensive interior monologues, yet despite this, their characters don’t feel fully three-dimensional. The narrative is interspersed with illustrated panels from Erica’s webcomic about her alter ego, Erica Strange, which do not add significantly to the story. Most major characters are White.
A story about sexual assault that takes an unusual approach. (resources) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: July 20, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-7369-0
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: April 29, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
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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