An earnest look at grief, expectations—and the many ways to get to a happily-ever-after.
A sweet novel full of sisterly love, budding romance, and healing after loss.
Castillo Torres takes her position as the student body association event chair at Matteo Beach High seriously. To her, it’s the best path forward after her mother’s death two years ago. Cas plans to use her portfolio to score influential event planner Mandy Whitmore’s “fairy godmother internship,” help older sister Mariposa (who goes by Po) crush her senior year and get into college, and springboard her dad out of his video game–filled depression. An opportunity to organize Disney YouTuber Paulina Reyes’ nontraditional quinceañera is the perfect boost to Cas’ internship application. Hanging out with cute lifeguard Javier Bae-Luna, who’s Korean and Guatemalan, only sweetens the process. But when a lie blows up bigger than a balloon arch, Cas’ perfect plans pop. Parra’s sophomore novel is filled with lots of fun party-planning details, along with a heartfelt look at the mourning process, as Cuban American Cas grapples with her mother’s death and shifting dynamics in the wake of the family’s loss. Cas and Po’s relationship is lovingly depicted—and Po’s malapropisms are laugh-out-loud funny. The central conflict and earnest conclusion will charm contemporary romance fans, and Javier and Cas’ thoughtful, budding relationship is a highlight, showcasing sincere emotion and care.
An earnest look at grief, expectations—and the many ways to get to a happily-ever-after. (Romance. 12-18)Pub Date: May 28, 2024
ISBN: 9781250862778
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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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