A haunting rallying cry against sexism and bullying.
A victim of misogynistic bullying finds strength in the story of a 17th-century accused witch.
When Anna and her mother move to the small Scottish town of St. Monans, they’re trying to escape both their grief over Anna’s father’s death and their horror at the severe slut-shaming she experienced at her old school. Anna hopes for a fresh start, but she’s haunted by fear of her past—until someone else’s past finds her instead. Anna discovers a mysterious necklace in their new home and begins experiencing memories that aren’t her own, drawing her to the story of a local woman who was ostracized and accused of witchcraft after having a baby out of wedlock. This gentle touch of the supernatural emphasizes how little misogynistic vitriol has changed over the years, as painful descriptions of the bullying Anna endures are interwoven with flashbacks to her counterpart’s public shamings. A halfhearted romance feels forced, but the core of Anna’s story will be viscerally recognizable to any young reader who’s experienced cyberbullying or revenge porn. As Anna tells her tormentors, as she stands in solidarity with other girls who’ve been victimized: “You can call me a prude, and you can call me a whore, but really you’re just calling me a girl.” One of Anna’s new school friends is coded as black; other major characters are white.
A haunting rallying cry against sexism and bullying. (discussion questions) (Fiction. 14-adult)Pub Date: April 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-72820-673-8
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Jan. 6, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
PROFILES
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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