Gripping, tragic, but ultimately hopeful.
A 16-year-old experiences heartache before healing in her misguided quest for popularity.
Self-conscious Emily wants to project a very different picture of her life to her peers, especially after her only friend calls out Debbie, Emily’s mother, for her alcoholism during an argument. Debbie can’t afford the nice clothes and house Emily would prefer, and because of her drinking, she’s emotionally unavailable. Eager for acceptance, Emily befriends pretty, outgoing Hannah after carefully observing her on social media. Despite her misgivings, Emily follows wherever Hannah leads. The prologue sets the scene for Emily, who’s preparing to share her story at a Narcotics Anonymous meeting in 2022. From there, the third-person narrative moves between Emily’s criminal trial in early 2019 and the spiral of events the previous year that led up to her being accused of manslaughter. The reveals come slowly, and readers will be on edge as Emily’s decisions lead her to become involved in and vulnerable to dangerous situations. It’s all painfully believable, especially when Emily blames herself for the deaths of the family for whom she was babysitting. When the truth is finally established, Emily is able to assess what happened and deal with what comes next. Her road is made bearable by the support of some caring characters, including Debbie, who, post-trial, makes her own turnaround. The epilogue brings the roller-coaster ride to a satisfying conclusion. Most characters are cued white.
Gripping, tragic, but ultimately hopeful. (resources) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 24, 2023
ISBN: 9780744306835
Page Count: 304
Publisher: CamCat Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
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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