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BAD INFLUENCE

An absorbing, empathetic story that explores personal ethics and peeks behind the curtains of online perfectionism.

A Korean American microinfluencer must choose between profit and personal values.

Sixteen-year-old Charlotte Goh entered the world of online influencing as a way to relieve her family’s financial strain. Wanting to spare her younger sister, Jojo, from the money-related arguments between her appa and umma that she grew up with, Charlotte turned to social media, hoping to leverage an audience for sponsorships. At a fashion preview in New York, she confronts some white girls over their racist comments about Audrey Sena, a popular Asian American influencer, and makes them apologize. When Audrey credits Charlotte with defending her in an Instagram post about the incident, Charlotte’s follower count immediately explodes. Charlotte’s new friendship with Audrey has other perks too, including joining Audrey’s social circle and going on dates with a handsome actor. A generous sponsorship opportunity soon lands in Charlotte’s lap, but there’s a catch: Other influencers are boycotting the company for stealing the work of Asian designers. This fast-moving story examines themes of authenticity and representation as Charlotte navigates the contradiction between an influencer’s curated social media presence and their audience’s expectations of honesty and genuine connection. Charlotte’s home life as an eldest child shouldering her parents’ emotional and financial burdens is vividly drawn and contrasts sharply with the carefree, trendy lifestyles of her more affluent influencer friends.

An absorbing, empathetic story that explores personal ethics and peeks behind the curtains of online perfectionism. (Fiction. 13-18)

Pub Date: April 29, 2025

ISBN: 9780593403167

Page Count: 288

Publisher: Viking

Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025

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INDIVISIBLE

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

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THE SURVIVOR WANTS TO DIE AT THE END

Raw, delicate, and deeply caring.

When Death-Cast doesn’t call, fate intertwines the lives of two boys, both haunted by their pasts and with futures they can’t escape.

In this third installment of the series that opened with 2017’s They Both Die at the End, Paz Dario waits every night for Death-Cast to call—as it should have for his father nearly 10 years ago, when Paz shot him to save his mother’s life. But the call never comes. Death-Cast killed Paz’s dreams of an acting career: No one will hire him now because the world sees him as a villain. When Paz tries (not for the first time) to put an end to his suffering, an unexpected encounter with Alano Rosa, the heir of Death-Cast, stops him. Both in a place of desperation, Alano and Paz sign a contract to live for Begin Days instead of waiting for their End Days. As suspenseful and emotionally wrenching as the previous titles in the series, this new installment explores heavy themes of abuse, mental health, self-harm, and suicide. Paz grapples with a recent diagnosis of borderline personality disorder. Silvera surrounds Alano and Paz with a web of complex relationships. Although the protagonists fall fast for one another and form a deep connection over Alano’s desire to support Paz, Silvera emphasizes the importance of professional help. Both Alano and Paz have Puerto Rican heritage. The cliffhanger ending promises more to come.

Raw, delicate, and deeply caring. (content warning, resources) (Speculative fiction. 14-18)

Pub Date: May 6, 2025

ISBN: 9780063240858

Page Count: 720

Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025

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