A lyrically written, highly eerie slow-burn of a mystery.
In small-town Maine, new girl Clara is pulled into the orbit of the mythical monster rumored to be responsible for disappearing teens.
Clara Morrison moves to Pender when her father takes on work demolishing the town mill. She’s used to the nomadic life, but she longs to belong somewhere. Enter Bree, the steely girl from across the street, and her best friend, Sage. The girls welcome Clara, inviting her to the skate park where they moon over boys. Bree admits a crush on Kincaid, a striking and enigmatic skater, but Kincaid keeps to himself unless he’s spinning tales about the Mumbler, the monstrous man who supposedly lives in the marsh, killing a teenager every few years. As Clara ingratiates herself into the group, it feels like she’s playing with fire: assisting in an escalating prank war and growing closer to Kincaid, which she knows will destroy Bree. And then Halloween looms close, and suddenly a girl disappears—could this be the work of the Mumbler? Clara doesn’t buy into the town legend, but she can’t deny that something’s ramping up. Every locale jumps from the page, imbued with magic and foreboding. Clara’s new relationships ring painfully true, both sharp and beautiful. Readers will burn through pages and be left haunted long after, although the resolution to the central mystery is something of a letdown. All characters are assumed white.
A lyrically written, highly eerie slow-burn of a mystery. (Mystery. 14-18)Pub Date: May 21, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-06-280333-7
Page Count: 304
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: Feb. 20, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2019
A troubling depiction of an unhealthy relationship.
A battered girl and an injured rugby star spark up an ill-advised romance at an Irish secondary school.
Beautiful, waiflike, 15-year-old Shannon has lived her entire life in Ballylaggin. Alternately bullied at school and beaten by her ne’er-do-well father, she’s hopeful for a fresh start at Tommen, a private school. Seventeen-year-old Johnny, who has a hair-trigger temper and a severe groin injury, is used to Dublin’s elite-level rugby but, since his family’s move to County Cork, is now stuck captaining Tommen’s middling team. When Johnny angrily kicks a ball and knocks Shannon unconscious (“a soft female groan came from her lips”), a tentative relationship is born. As the two grow closer, Johnny’s past and Shannon’s present become serious obstacles to their budding love, threatening Shannon’s safety. Shannon’s portrayal feels infantilized (“I looked down at the tiny little female under my arm”), while Johnny comes across as borderline obsessive (“I knew I shouldn’t be touching her, but how the hell could I not?”). Uneven pacing and choppy sentences lead to a sudden climax and an unsatisfyingly abrupt ending. Repetitive descriptions, abundant and misogynistic dialogue (Johnny, to his best friend: “who’s the bitch with a vagina now?”), and graphic violence also weigh down this lengthy tome (considerably trimmed down from its original, self-published length). The cast of lively, well-developed supporting characters, especially Johnny’s best friend and Shannon’s protective older brother, is a bright spot. Major characters read white.
A troubling depiction of an unhealthy relationship. (author’s note, pronunciations, glossary, song moments, playlists) (Romance. 16-18)Pub Date: Nov. 28, 2023
ISBN: 9781728299945
Page Count: 626
Publisher: Bloom Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 21, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2023
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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