A compelling story of self.
When two things can be true at once, how do you decide on your own truth?
When 7-year-old Lisa DeAndreis’ mother gained custody of her, her father manipulated her into leaving during the night, absconding with her to live in the Christian cult community the Citizens of the Word. Later, they went to live on the streets of Seattle, where Dad proselytized, and finally in a ramshackle house in Port Angeles, Washington, with Carlo Estevez, Lisa’s adopted brother. Nine years later, Lisa is found by the cops and returned to her mother in Eugene, Oregon. Lisa is determined to follow the plan her father laid out for her in the event that this happened, but she grapples with reconciling the conflicting worldviews she’s being exposed to. On the one hand, there are the judgments of her father and the gospel of the Word—on the other, she’s being exposed to the outside world of her mother, stepfather, half brother, and a new, surprising boy she meets. The story culminates in a shocking event that forces Lisa to decide who she really is. Unfolding in alternating timelines throughout Lisa’s life, the plot moves forward with increasing tension while examining themes of misogyny and family in thoughtful ways. Thompson adeptly portrays Lisa’s battle with her father’s manipulation and her own intelligent understanding of her situation. Lisa and her family read white; Carlo is cued Latine.
A compelling story of self. (works cited) (Fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: May 21, 2024
ISBN: 9798890030146
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Page Street
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2024
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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