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
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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