A dreamlike and hazy but sharply memorable tale.
In Rose’s YA fantasy novel, the lives of a goddess from ancient Greece and a high school senior intertwine in the space between sleep and waking.
The goddess Lethe is Morpheus’ sister as well as the personification of oblivion. She’s always given humans anything they wanted “as long as it helped them think less, feel less, want less.” However, her dominion now stands empty, her realm rarely visited until very recently, when the sleeping soul of a teenage boy crosses over into it and keeps coming back. She wonders if he can stay forever. The boy, Owen Butler, is having a tough time; he’s spending his summer before senior year attending remedial classes while suffering the pain of unrequited love for another boy at school and worrying about an art project. Lately, he has been feeling bone-tired, his mind confused and foggy, and when he falls asleep, he visits a mysterious woman on the banks of a river; near her, he finds no pain or disappointment—only quiet. Rose’s story takes readers on a journey that mixes Greek mythology and fantasy elements, infusing both with themes that relate to memory, trauma, and fear: “Most humans spend their whole lives hiding from their pain, from their fear, from the parts of themselves they don’t want to know.” It’s an intriguing tale made even more interesting by how Owen, as a character, is often blurry and undefined—a deft twist of characterization that matches his narrative development, as every time he visits Lethe, he leaves something of himself behind. However, Owen also has a close-knit family, good friends, and a love for art that helps him find footing back in the waking world; as the story progresses, his growth leads to a satisfying ending. Secondary characters are also well sketched, and Owen’s artwork offers a fun nod to the imagery of tarot cards.
A dreamlike and hazy but sharply memorable tale.Pub Date: July 26, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-73390-799-6
Page Count: 325
Publisher: Imperative Press
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2022
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
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
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
