A glitzy sequel filled with drama and self-discovery.
Five and a half years after the events of Shine (2020), Rachel Kim is a full-fledged international superstar.
As part of the nine-member group Girls Forever, she’s topping charts, touring internationally, and garnering a devoted fan base. While they may be at the top of their game, it’s not too early to lay the groundwork for the future. With ambitions for her own fashion line and a secret romance with fellow Korean American Alex Jeon, Rachel might have things figured out, but she must be sensitive when it comes to management company DB Entertainment and her band mates. She’s determined not to let individual drama sabotage the group, but is everyone on the same page? With Rachel’s having successfully graduated from the trainee system, this sequel focuses more on business machinations as tremendous fame raises the stakes, highlighting the dark side of industry expectations and tenuous public support. Her instant connection with Alex makes it extremely hard for Rachel not to be reckless despite the high risks, especially for female idols. While Rachel believes she is a conscientious group member, she can be unaware of the unintentionally hurtful effects of her actions. Readers’ awareness of other characters’ motivations is limited by Rachel’s first-person narration and self-focus; those interested in relationship dynamics may be left wanting further nuance, but anyone tuning in for more about Rachel’s trajectory will enjoy her twists, turns, and personal triumphs.
A glitzy sequel filled with drama and self-discovery. (glossary) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 10, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5344-6254-0
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022
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
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
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