Gripping and emotionally charged.
An invisible teen girl longs to be seen and loved.
Pietà, who goes by Pie, was born invisible. She and her mom can see each other, although their skin appears transparent, but they aren’t visible to others. Pie grew up traveling all over the U.S. on trains with her mom, staying in other people’s houses, and using whatever they need. Despite her mom’s advice to never fall in love, Pie did just that two years ago while in Pittsburgh, with disastrous results. Now, they are visiting the area again, staying in a house where teenage cousins Denise and Jules live, and Pie is determined to find her old crush, Tess. As much as Pie tries to be content with her lonely existence, she yearns for more, and true friendships begin to seem possible if she’s willing to take some risks. Although the story sometimes overexplains the rules of invisibility and doesn’t dive deeply enough into the reasons behind its origins—Pie’s mom was born solid but became invisible as a coping mechanism for abuse—the way the present-day narrative and flashbacks are skillfully woven together creates page-turning momentum. Pie’s critical self-talk and longing for connection are excruciatingly realistic and relatable as she navigates complicated relationships with her parents, new friendships, and evolving crushes. Pie’s family members and Tess are assumed White; Denise and Jules are cued as Black. All main teen characters are queer.
Gripping and emotionally charged. (Paranormal. 14-18)Pub Date: April 19, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-17721-1
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Jan. 25, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2022
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
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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