A thrilling romance about what happens when rich people lose almost everything.
In Forrester’s (Shadow Mage, 2012, etc.) young-adult novel, a teen finds herself in over her head as she tries to save her home and family from personal and financial destruction.
Fifteen-year-old Clarise Chambers is the only levelheaded member of an extravagantly wealthy family, so it’s no wonder that her grandmother willed the family’s historic Andover estate, Vogel House, to her. Her lovable brother, Philip, lives a wild lifestyle; her mother is a successful fashion designer but forgoes her family obligations to pursue a string of affairs with Philip’s prep school friends; and her father functions well among the wealthy elite, but has no practical experience in the real world. As the school year comes to a close, Clarise begins her first romance with a student named Keary McNaughton and looks forward to spending the summer with him on Martha’s Vineyard. She soon learns of an ancient feud between the Chambers and the McNaughton families, but she doesn’t let it spoil her plans. Just as the summer begins, however, Clarise’s father’s business fails and the entire family abruptly abandons its Vineyard house, lays off its servants and takes the next economy-class flight home. Clarise’s parents have no plan to survive—but Clarise has street smarts, and just over a million dollars from her grandmother in her checking account, to pull her clan through. But as the family bonds in its new domestic life, an old rivalry resurfaces: It turns out that Keary’s father is responsible for the Chamberses’ economic downfall, and he makes it clear that he’ll take drastic measures to make sure that the family suffers, no matter what. The author finds an exciting balance of romance, suspense and family drama. Although the book’s more steamy scenes may appeal to older teen readers, they may find that the characters bring an awkward degree of maturity to the proceedings. However, Clarise’s grounded, likable and spunky narration creates a world that invites readers to care about the characters without feeling overly sympathetic to the whims of the spoiled wealthy elite.
A thrilling romance about what happens when rich people lose almost everything.Pub Date: May 29, 2013
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 195
Publisher: Amber Muse
Review Posted Online: July 5, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.
A fifth-grade New Orleans girl discovers a mysterious chrysalis containing an unexpected creature in this middle-grade novel.
Jacquelyn Marie Johnson, called Jackie, is a 10-year-old African-American girl, the second oldest and the only girl of six siblings. She’s responsible, smart, and enjoys being in charge; she likes “paper dolls and long division and imagining things she had never seen.” Normally, Jackie has no trouble obeying her strict but loving parents. But when her potted snapdragon acquires a peculiar egg or maybe a chrysalis (she dubs it a chrysalegg), Jackie’s strong desire to protect it runs up against her mother’s rule against plants in the house. Jackie doesn’t exactly mean to lie, but she tells her mother she needs to keep the snapdragon in her room for a science project and gets permission. Jackie draws the chrysalegg daily, waiting for something to happen as it gets larger. When the amazing creature inside breaks free, Jackie is more determined than ever to protect it, but this leads her further into secrets and lies. The results when her parents find out are painful, and resolving the problem will take courage, honesty, and trust. Dumas (Jaden Toussaint, the Greatest: Episode 5, 2017, etc.) presents a very likable character in Jackie. At 10, she’s young enough to enjoy playing with paper dolls but has a maturity that even older kids can lack. She’s resourceful, as when she wants to measure a red spot on the chrysalegg; lacking calipers, she fashions one from her hairpin. Jackie’s inward struggle about what to obey—her dearest wishes or the parents she loves—is one many readers will understand. The book complicates this question by making Jackie’s parents, especially her mother, strict (as one might expect to keep order in a large family) but undeniably loving and protective as well—it’s not just a question of outwitting clueless adults. Jackie’s feelings about the creature (tender and responsible but also more than a little obsessive) are similarly shaded rather than black-and-white. The ending suggests that an intriguing sequel is to come.
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943169-32-0
Page Count: 212
Publisher: Plum Street Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.
In the ninth book in the Bluford young-adult series, a young Latino man walks away from violence—but at great personal cost.
In a large Southern California city, 16-year-old Martin Luna hangs out on the fringes of gang life. He’s disaffected, fatherless and increasingly drawn into the orbit of the older, rougher Frankie. When a stray bullet kills Martin’s adored 8-year-old brother, Huero, Martin seems to be heading into a life of crime. But Martin’s mother, determined not to lose another son, moves him to another neighborhood—the fictional town of Bluford, where he attends the racially diverse Bluford High. At his new school, the still-grieving Martin quickly makes enemies and gets into trouble. But he also makes friends with a kind English teacher and catches the eye of Vicky, a smart, pretty and outgoing Bluford student. Martin’s first-person narration supplies much of the book’s power. His dialogue is plain, but realistic and believable, and the authors wisely avoid the temptation to lard his speech with dated and potentially embarrassing slang. The author draws a vivid and affecting picture of Martin’s pain and confusion, bringing a tight-lipped teenager to life. In fact, Martin’s character is so well drawn that when he realizes the truth about his friend Frankie, readers won’t feel as if they are watching an after-school special, but as though they are observing the natural progression of Martin’s personal growth. This short novel appears to be aimed at urban teens who don’t often see their neighborhoods portrayed in young-adult fiction, but its sophisticated characters and affecting story will likely have much wider appeal.
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2004
ISBN: 978-1591940173
Page Count: 152
Publisher: Townsend Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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