A warm, heartfelt, and fully engaging portrayal of teen love.
Two high school seniors anticipate a big change in their relationship.
Neon Benton and Aria Wright have been a couple for two years. They’re planning to take a huge step in their relationship, and while they have a plan, Neon is battling a serious case of nerves. Fortunately, he’s close to his older sister, Nat, and leans on her for advice. He also finds himself reflecting on the journey that led the two of them to this moment—readers learn of Neon’s close ties with his no-nonsense mother, his affectionate, hardworking dad, and his grandmother (who’s still grieving the death of his grandfather). Aria’s family life is a bit more complicated, since she’s the only nonmusical household member, and her relationship with her mother is somewhat strained. Amid family, school, and yearbook club, moving toward more physical intimacy takes center stage for the Black teens. The fact that Aria will be heading away for college while Neon stays home to earn money for film school is another factor. Setting aside anticipation and apprehension, the couple have a bond that is clearly of paramount importance to them. This rich, tender story captures the range of emotions surrounding emerging love and what they mean in the lives of young people. Neon narrates with clarity, sensitivity, and humor. The wonderfully developed cast of characters (both adults and teens), lively language, and the clever flashbacks contribute to the freshness of the storytelling.
A warm, heartfelt, and fully engaging portrayal of teen love. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2024
ISBN: 9781665961271
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Caitlyn Dlouhy/Atheneum
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
SEEN & HEARD
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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