Alexander's latest once-upon-a-time adventure, unfolded this time with no recourse to magic, brings Theo, an orphaned printer's devil and a true innocent, up against a repressive government that has policemen break into the printing shop, kill his master, and destroy the press—all because they've accepted an order from a traveling quack, the self-styled Dr. Absalom. Theo, in the melée, knocks out an officer, fears he's killed him (and agonizes later because he'd momentarily wanted to), and so becomes a fugitive. (When he goes to report the incident, a sympathetic local policeman as much as orders him to flee.) For a while Thee travels reluctantly with Dr. Absalom himself, a likable rogue also known as Count Las Bombas, and becomes fond of Mickle, a street waif they pick up along the way. Later Thee falls in with a band of revolutionaries, though it's a while before he recognizes what they're up to, and he remains impartially perplexed over their opposition to monarchy per se vs. the more moderate position of their temporary ally, the exiled but loyal court doctor who just wants to get fid of the king's tyrannical chief minister Cabbarus. Cabbarus, we've learned, seized power while the distraught king grieved unendingly for his presumably dead daughter—but he's brought down now when Mickle's true identity is revealed. During the final unmasking, Thee appeases his conscience by risking his life to save that of the hated minister; and in the end he is closer to the monarchy than he'd ever expected to be. A cavalier treatment of the political questions raised earlier, but a colorful and nimbly executed adventure.
Pub Date: May 12, 1981
ISBN: 0141310685
Page Count: 184
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1981
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
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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