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FOREVER WE DREAM

An emotionally charged exploration of family and identity.

Awards & Accolades

Our Verdict

  • Our Verdict
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In Workman’s YA debut, three identical conjoined sisters overcome bullying to compete in a televised talent competition.

In 1978, 16-year-olds Elliana (Ellie), Bellamona (Mona) and Gabriella (Gabby) Banfear are the world’s only documented conjoined triplets. Their mother abandoned them as babies, so they live with their father Benson—a polyglot who works long hours as a translator—and their Great Pyrenees dog BeeGee. The triplets are talented seamstresses, singers, and instrumentalists, and achieve top grades at Hollywood High. They are relentlessly bullied, however, by classmate Twyla-Violet Higgins, who achieved brief fame as an 8-year-old actor and now fronts a band called Empress that has made it to the finals of the teen edition of the TV talent show Your Shooting Star. While Benson often addresses his daughters by the collective hypocorism “Papilio” (Latin for butterfly), Twyla-Violet has popularized the pejorative “Caterpillar,” inspired by the shuffling movement the sisters make to pass through doorways. Her enmity appears relentless…and only goes up a notch when one of Empress’ rivals, the Bee Gees tribute band Boogie Children, has to replace its lead singer and invites Papilio to join them for the finals. The Banfear triplets are huge Bee Gees fans, and they are thrilled to make friends with 15-year-old lead guitarist Michael Thompson and his younger brothers Robbie, Jason, and Brian. They also see appearing on Your Shooting Star as a chance to track down their absent mother, either through a direct appeal on national television or, if by some miracle they win the contest, by using their share of the prize money to hire a private investigator. Only three things stand in their way: their own self-doubt, Twyla-Violet (backed by her overbearing father/manager Edward), and the fact that Benson won’t let them perform on the show. Ellie forges Benson’s signature; Gabby impersonates him on the phone; and the sisters even stand up to Twyla-Violet. But will their deceptions come back to haunt them?

Workman writes in the third person, narrating mostly from Papilio’s perspective with straightforward, effective prose. The writing’s only real flaw is a weakness for stilted expository monologues: “I’m struggling to meet this tough deadline, but I’m enjoying translating this Spanish novel into English. It’s an exciting spy story set during the Spanish-American War but a very long book that also needs editing. It’s a tough dual job.” Off-key verbalizations aside, the triplets emerge as an inspiring collective protagonist, distinct in their individual personalities but united in shared virtues such as positivity, thoughtfulness, determination, compassion, and willingness to forgive. To the author’s credit, the sisters also exhibit less salubrious tendencies (mendacity, rash imprudence) and are called out for these, such as when Michael berates Mona for Papilio involving Twyla-Violet’s mother and little sister in their retaliation scheme. The result is a nuance of characterization that extends to Benson, whose love for his children has led him to lie to them and act most reprehensibly. The realistic balancing of character traits elevates the triplets’ tale from a simple feel-good triumph to something more long-lasting and affecting. While Twyla-Violet’s bullying has the potential to be triggering, the plot is more than just a repudiation. The story is well paced and, though it follows a predictable line, unfolds with enough surprises to keep YA readers on their toes and rooting for a favorable outcome.

An emotionally charged exploration of family and identity.

Pub Date: March 19, 2025

ISBN: 9798989806720

Page Count: 260

Publisher: Birdeto Books

Review Posted Online: Feb. 16, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2025

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INDIVISIBLE

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

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THE SURVIVOR WANTS TO DIE AT THE END

Raw, delicate, and deeply caring.

When Death-Cast doesn’t call, fate intertwines the lives of two boys, both haunted by their pasts and with futures they can’t escape.

In this third installment of the series that opened with 2017’s They Both Die at the End, Paz Dario waits every night for Death-Cast to call—as it should have for his father nearly 10 years ago, when Paz shot him to save his mother’s life. But the call never comes. Death-Cast killed Paz’s dreams of an acting career: No one will hire him now because the world sees him as a villain. When Paz tries (not for the first time) to put an end to his suffering, an unexpected encounter with Alano Rosa, the heir of Death-Cast, stops him. Both in a place of desperation, Alano and Paz sign a contract to live for Begin Days instead of waiting for their End Days. As suspenseful and emotionally wrenching as the previous titles in the series, this new installment explores heavy themes of abuse, mental health, self-harm, and suicide. Paz grapples with a recent diagnosis of borderline personality disorder. Silvera surrounds Alano and Paz with a web of complex relationships. Although the protagonists fall fast for one another and form a deep connection over Alano’s desire to support Paz, Silvera emphasizes the importance of professional help. Both Alano and Paz have Puerto Rican heritage. The cliffhanger ending promises more to come.

Raw, delicate, and deeply caring. (content warning, resources) (Speculative fiction. 14-18)

Pub Date: May 6, 2025

ISBN: 9780063240858

Page Count: 720

Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025

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