A wild cliffhanger ended the first, so readers will definitely want to get their hands on this sequel, but the suspension of...
Two teens afflicted with a rare medical disorder continue unraveling the mystery begun in What We Saw at Night (2013).
Rob and Allie, bound together since childhood due to their diagnoses with a life-threatening allergy to sunlight called Xeroderma Pigmentosum, are deeply in love. They are also both convincingly bereft as they mourn the death of Juliet, the former third of their trio. Less believably, Allie is convinced that Juliet’s suicide was actually a murder perpetrated by an undetected serial killer, who she suspects is a member of the wealthy, powerful family that founded the clinic in her town that treats XP. When Rob introduces Allie to free diving—which involves descending under water to great depths with no oxygen source—she discovers bodies the killer has hidden in Lake Superior. While each of these plot points is fascinating, their combination strains credulity and eventually weighs down the narrative. Unlikely coincidences also abound, including the fact that the land that bears the den of horrors and burial ground of the villain was originally owned by Allie’s pal Gideon, so he’s able to give her plenty of tips about it.
A wild cliffhanger ended the first, so readers will definitely want to get their hands on this sequel, but the suspension of disbelief it demands is mammoth. (Thriller. 14 & up)Pub Date: Dec. 17, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-61695-143-6
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Soho Teen
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2013
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
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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