by Megan Shull ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2005
“Grace ‘Ace’ Kincaid, teenage-tennis-sensation-turned-cover-girl-spokesmodel is quitting.” In this Princess Diaries in reverse, 15-year-old, top-ranked women’s tennis player, Grace, suddenly leaves behind her entourage (bodyguard, agent, stylist, etc.), hotel luxuries, and, hopefully, the paparazzi; dons a new hair color, nose piercing, and name; and is whisked away to Medicine Hat, Alaska, population 813. Freedom, breathtaking scenery and the gorgeous native, Teague Denali, temper the shock of living with Ava, a retired FBI agent, in her rustic cabin, complete with outhouse and cold water only. Painfully aware of townspeople working two jobs to make ends meet while she has enough money to buy an entire factory, the teen must reconcile her two lives. Narrating her story in a conversational voice, full of wit and resolve, Grace finds friendship, love and even normalcy for the first time. When forced to return to the “real world,” she knows she will make it—on her own terms now. A chick-lit Grand Slam. (Fiction. YA)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 0-7868-5690-4
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2005
Share your opinion of this book
More by Megan Shull
BOOK REVIEW
by Megan Shull
BOOK REVIEW
by Megan Shull
BOOK REVIEW
by Megan Shull
by Daniel Aleman ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 4, 2021
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
Share your opinion of this book
More About This Book
PERSPECTIVES
by Laura Nowlin ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2013
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
Awards & Accolades
Likes
97
Our Verdict
GET IT
New York Times Bestseller
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
Share your opinion of this book
More by Laura Nowlin
BOOK REVIEW
by Laura Nowlin
More About This Book
SEEN & HEARD
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.