A literal blood feud in which warring factions of the same family have engaged for a century suffuses this readable if overwrought story of love between teens from opposing sides. Seventeen-year-old Kaitlin Malone, living with her mother and sister on their farm in contemporary northern California, has grown up detesting the wealthy Crutchfields—and they her side of the family. Misunderstandings and lies about each clan that have been perpetuated for generations have fueled the animosity, but Kaitlin’s even worse dilemma is that she and schoolmate Bram Crutchfield fall deeply in love almost from the moment they meet, though under false pretenses. Forced by straitened finances to attend a public high school—situated on Crutchfield land—Kaitlin enrolls under an assumed surname. It turns out that there’ll be more need for secrecy than “mere” bad blood, however. Not until she learns Bram’s last name does Kaitlin realize that he’s not only the “enemy” but also the son of the man her father is in prison for killing. To keep the relationship flourishing, she is forced to continue lying and weaves a more and more elaborate web of deceit in which she, her family, and her and Bram’s friends become hopelessly entangled. Enlightenment and hope that something good can emerge from the age-old enmity come when Kaitlin reads the journals of the family’s progenitor, a dedicated and talented writer like she is. In the journals Kaitlin discovers the truth behind the age-old disputes, and the diaries seem finally to point Kaitlin and Bram to a legacy of promise and not continued blind hatred. Romeo and Juliet this isn’t, but fans of teen angst and undying-love stories will probably appreciate the effort. (Fiction. 12+)
Pub Date: April 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-15-202320-8
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2001
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
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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