Though it takes admirably big swings, this reimagining doesn’t live up to its potential.
Much Ado About Nothing gets a boldly queer contemporary twist.
Beatrice’s best friend has always been her little sister, Harriet, who goes by Hero. Ever since their mom died and their dad checked out, Bea has looked out for Hero the best she can. Bea’s biggest enemy is Bennie, a neighbor in their Indianapolis suburb; the girls have exchanged sharp barbs since they were in the fifth grade. When Bennie abruptly returns home from boarding school and Hero starts dating Claude, one of Bennie’s best friends, the nemeses’ worlds collide. But a crisis leads Bea to wonder what’s really been behind their conflict all along. Ohland has created a diverse cast (Bea, Hero, and Bennie present white, Bennie is pansexual, Claude is Black and bisexual) that embraces not only inclusivity but also the fluidity of sexuality and the necessity of self-exploration. As Bea works through her complicated feelings about Bennie, she confronts her own identity, questioning whether any label feels right. In the process, she leans on Pedro, a Latine friend of Bennie’s, who’s investigating identity questions of their own. Bea and Hero’s bond as they face their mother’s absence at pivotal points in their lives is a high point, but ultimately neither the characters nor their motivations ever quite come alive, and Bea and Bennie’s eventual romance feels flat and one-dimensional.
Though it takes admirably big swings, this reimagining doesn’t live up to its potential. (content note, discussion questions, author’s note) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 5, 2024
ISBN: 9781728487656
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Carolrhoda
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2024
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
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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