Typical teen drama elevated by its exploration of a complex social issue but hampered by an unrealistically feel-good...
Jasmine de los Santos, an overachieving 16-year-old immigrant from the Philippines, looks forward to a vibrant future, until she discovers a family secret that threatens to take away her American dream.
When Jasmine reveals to her family that she has been awarded a prestigious scholarship that will provide full tuition to the college of her choice, she learns that the family is undocumented; Jasmine cannot accept the award. She also realizes that the boy she’s falling for is the son of a congressman who is fighting against an immigration-reform bill that could change the lives of her family forever. Despite this setup, Jasmine is not a single-issue character. In addition to navigating her future newly aware of her immigration status, she also struggles with universal teen drama—friendships, first love, family pressures, etc. An immigrant herself, de la Cruz, succeeds in presenting a complicated and multifaceted topic in a manner that is light enough to keep readers engaged throughout the novel’s 300-plus pages. However, the neat-and-tidy conclusion, involving political connections and wealthy donors, may leave some readers believing that just by “being good enough” and “working hard,” the undocumented can magically overcome their circumstances regardless of the political climate or financial situation in which they find themselves.
Typical teen drama elevated by its exploration of a complex social issue but hampered by an unrealistically feel-good conclusion. (author’s note) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 27, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-373-21238-5
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Review Posted Online: July 25, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
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
A worthy second-chance romance.
In this follow-up to 2021’s Better Than the Movies, a 20-year-old college freshman gets a second chance at his dreams.
After the death of his father and his mother’s subsequent physical and emotional disappearance, Wes Bennett left behind all of his plans and the girl he made them with to go home and take care of Sarah, his younger sister. But now, Sarah has graduated, his mom is back on her feet, and by some miracle, Wes has an offer to pitch for UCLA’s baseball team. Liz Buxbaum, the girl he’s always loved, works for the university’s athletic department, taking photos and video of the team for social media, which means that maybe he can have a second chance at love, too. But since Wes left, Liz has made every effort to protect herself from ever feeling that broken again; there’s no room for love, because she doesn’t believe in it anymore. Or she doesn’t want to. This second-chance sports romance includes fake dates, quippy and quirky best friends, real heartache, and the sweet ache of first love. The clever dialogue keeps readers from drowning in the main characters’ emotional push-and-pull. Reading the first novel isn’t necessary for appreciating this one, although knowing the full history between Wes and Liz will only add to the ache and longing readers feel from and for them. Main characters are cued white.
A worthy second-chance romance. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781665947138
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
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