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FURIOUS

A high-speed queer romance.

JoJo Emerson-Boyd and Eliana Blum have both lost someone close to them.

JoJo is dealing with the recent tragic death of her world-famous mother, NASCAR champion DeeDee Emerson, who died in a crash, and Max, El’s beloved older sister, was kicked out of their parents’ house and has since disappeared. Not only that, Max mysteriously left her treasured R1 motorcycle and riding jacket behind. Thankfully, JoJo and El have two other things in common: an all-out obsession with the Fast & Furious film franchise and an intense love for racing. Just like her mother, JoJo races cars, and El’s sister supported her in learning to race bikes. When El, looking for information about her sister, stops by the garage owned by JoJo’s grandmother where El used to work, the chemistry between the two girls is instantaneous. As friendship and romance begin to grow, they execute a small-scale heist and embark on a wild motorcycle road-trip adventure in search of Max and a possible future together. The chapters switch between JoJo’s and El’s voices, which are sometimes difficult to distinguish. The plot-driven story contains some clunky language, and those not well versed in the film series’ mythology may find the frequent Fast & Furious allusions tiring. The authenticity of the characters’ emotions and the sweetness of their romance will surely capture many hearts, however. The main characters are white; El is Jewish.

A high-speed queer romance. (authors’ note) (Romance. 14-18)

Pub Date: June 11, 2024

ISBN: 9798890030160

Page Count: 304

Publisher: Page Street

Review Posted Online: March 9, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2024

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IF HE HAD BEEN WITH ME

There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.

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  • New York Times Bestseller

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

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INDIVISIBLE

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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