A sunny, Sapphic rom-com.
A teenage girl’s summer camp stay is complicated by the arrival of the popular girl from back home.
Summer camp is supposed to be Juliette Barrera-Wright’s safe place. At home she has to share the spotlight with her six siblings, and there’s nowhere to escape Priya Pendley, her hometown’s uber-wealthy, social media–famous it girl. Priya is gorgeous, always perfectly polished, good at everything, and, worst of all, extremely likable, which only serves to highlight Juliette’s perceived inadequacies. But at Fogridge camp, people embrace Juliette for who she is, and that allows her to shine. This summer is supposed to be extra special: Not only is it her last year as a camper, but she’s also been voted in as the North Star, a role of honor that grants her privileges, such as a private cabin to be shared with a new camper whom she’ll mentor. Juliette’s satisfaction is cut short, however, when she learns that her mentee is none other than Priya herself. Now the summer is at risk of being ruined unless Juliette can find a way to get along with her biggest frenemy. Priya and Juliette are both biracial (each has one white parent), and the supporting cast is diverse. With a charming, conversational narrative voice and an idyllic camp setting, this light romance hits the right marks for a poolside read.
A sunny, Sapphic rom-com. (Romance. 13-18)Pub Date: June 4, 2024
ISBN: 9780593622698
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: March 23, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2024
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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