An ambitious effort that falls flat.
A coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of the 2004 Beslan school siege.
Eighteen-year-old Darya lives with her father; younger brothers, Boris and Igor; little sister, Nika; and ghost of a mother in the Ossetian region of Russia. With their depressed mother in a state of semiawareness, the running of the household and Nika’s care have fallen to Darya; the line between sister and mother blurred, much to her anguish. When Nika is taken as a hostage on the first day of school and subsequently killed, everything Darya knows and hopes for is turned on its head. Her mother regains lucidity, blaming Darya for Nika's death, while her brothers militantly seek revenge on Chechens and Ingush. Meanwhile, her father retreats into work and spending time with his young lover, bringing home an unwelcome suitor for Darya. The arrival of aid workers and an American journalist allows her to hope for more than the quotidian, and she leaves for Moscow in pursuit of a new life. Darya in her desperation is sometimes cruel and manipulative, and her behavior in Moscow feels unconvincing and inconsistent. Mayhew (The Electrical Venus, 2018, etc.) references Russian classics and fairy tales in an attempt to add cultural texture. Unfortunately the characters are drawn in such a way that it is difficult to become emotionally invested in them, weakening the impact of the story.
An ambitious effort that falls flat. (afterword, Russian terms, Russian names, references) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5362-0263-2
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 25, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2019
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
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.
In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me, three characters tell their sides of the story.
Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind. (author’s note, content warning) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781728276229
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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