Fans of the first book may be satisfied, but it likely won’t stand out to new readers.
Back home after a stint in the psychiatric ward, Jeff is ready to embrace being an openly gay high school student in this sequel to Suicide Notes (2008).
Jeff’s outlook on life and confidence in his identity transformed during his 45 days in the hospital after attempting suicide. But returning to school means facing his best friend, Allie, and the boy he kissed—who is also Allie’s boyfriend. Further complicating matters, fellow patient Rankin, whom Jeff had sex with during his hospital stay, is now his classmate. At a support group for LGBTQ+ teenagers, Jeff makes new friends, including Goldie, a gay boy with three dads in a triad, and Chrys, a queer Filipino person who uses they/them pronouns. Jeff navigates new crushes and relationships as he adjusts to regular life and gears up for being in the school musical. In the author’s note, Ford expresses how much has changed since Suicide Notes was published; while this story takes place immediately after the events of the first book, the setting is contemporary, allowing for an optimistic story as Jeff is mostly met with acceptance and discovers queer community. The queer joy throughout is the highlight, although slow pacing, particularly at the beginning, and a lack of rich character development make the book somewhat bland. Most primary characters, including Jeff, are cued white.
Fans of the first book may be satisfied, but it likely won’t stand out to new readers. (mental health resources) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9780063256354
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
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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