Though apparently titled for the line from Romeo and Juliet, this second solo outing for the author of Thirteen Reasons Why...
Love, hope, and forgiveness are under the tree this Christmas.
From Thanksgiving through Christmas, Sierra and her parents move from their Oregon tree farm to their sale lot in California. Though Sierra usually eschews involvement with local boys, this year, Heather, her California pal, is determined that Sierra indulge in a “holiday love affair.” Enter Caleb of the adorable dimple, and it’s blush at first sight. However, Caleb has a back story: years ago, he went after his sister with a knife. Troublingly, the revelation doesn’t scare Sierra; she thinks Caleb must be good now—after all, he buys Christmas trees for people who can’t afford them. Sierra’s decision to skip a best friend’s holiday play in order to be with Caleb may also have readers grinding their teeth. A subplot reveals that Heather doesn’t want to break up with her boyfriend because she needs to feel that he wants her. The sexism runs both ways: the novel’s main theme is that of boy-needs-girl-to-make-him-see-he’s-worthy-of-forgiveness. Neither characters nor book seem to question the retrograde nature of these relationships and assumptions. While most ethnicities are unnamed, leaving readers to infer that characters are probably white, there are two secondary characters of color: Mrs. Trujillo, a recipient of Caleb’s Christmas trees, and local mean girl Christy Wang.
Though apparently titled for the line from Romeo and Juliet, this second solo outing for the author of Thirteen Reasons Why is not a love story for the ages. (Fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: Oct. 18, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-59514-551-2
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
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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