Engrossing “you are there” storytelling centered around a relatable young protagonist—a page-turner.
A young boy finds adventure and danger after stowing away on a navy sailing ship in Maitland’s YA novel.
Set in the mid-19th century, this narrative is based on a journal by the author’s ancestor about his youthful adventures at sea and on land, from England to the Americas. Alive with vivid imagery, the saga begins as Robert, age 12, along with his 14-year-old friend Michael, runs away from his difficult life in an English coastal village by stowing away on one of Her Majesty’s Royal Navy vessels. Discovered when the ship sets sail to patrol “the world’s oceans to keep the peace,” the unwelcome pair are pressed into service. They learn what it takes to maintain the ship’s equipment, defend it against storms and foes, and repair damage, working to exhaustion doing jobs given to the lowliest members of the crew. Above all, they must adhere to a strict code of naval discipline—infractions earn bloody lashes and desertion carries a death sentence. (While not excessive, the violence and other rougher plot elements are not sugarcoated or sanitized.) Maitland’s meticulous observation of the ships of that time (down to how ropes were coiled depending on their placement and function) could have overwhelmed the plot; instead, the informed details deepen the storytelling as Robert struggles with hard labor, suffers painful clashes with the ship’s bully, and experiences the terror of ship-tossing storms (“black clouds spreading like ink spilled on parchment”). Just as resonant is Robert’s wide-eyed wonder over first seeing whales, his pride in his hard-earned callouses and growing strength, and his hidden burden of shame over leaving home for fear of his older brother’s savage beatings. In a dramatic, fraught shift, the boys mistakenly jump ship in South America after hearing drunken sailors talk about easy gold pickings in “America.” Their struggles to survive while avoiding discovery and deserter’s deaths will lead readers to a welcome sequel, Adventurer at Sea: On the Edge of Freedom (2024). The novel ends with a comprehensive glossary of period-specific words and phrases.
Engrossing “you are there” storytelling centered around a relatable young protagonist—a page-turner.Pub Date: Nov. 24, 2024
ISBN: 9798987701645
Page Count: 322
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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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