Compelling, relatable, and skillfully crafted.
Camila Núñez, a Cuban American teen from North Carolina, faces what might be her worst year ever.
An ominous tarot card reading, her parents’ crumbling marriage, and a recent heartbreak might all be too much for Camila. Her annual summer in Miami was meant to consist of family time with her abuelos and self-care using tools suggested by her therapist. While playing third wheel to her prima Mirta and Mirta’s latest boyfriend, Juanito, Camila develops an unexpected friendship that turns into a secret summer romance with Sonia, Juanito’s sister. But Sonia breaks her heart just before Camila turns 16. Camila writes an optimistic letter to her future self, but the results of best friend Cindy’s birthday tarot reading lead to a surge in Camila’s anxiety, and she is left wondering when the misfortunes she believes were predicted by the Hanged Man, the Three of Swords, the Seven of Cups, and the Justice card will manifest. Between the pain of breaking up, her parents’ trial separation, and her anxiety flaring into anger, Camila, who has a caring heart, empathy, and tendency to worry about others, lashes out at people close to her. In their debut novel, Pérez delves into anxiety, body shaming, familial dynamics around queerness, and teenage relationships. The thoughtful exploration of mental health, self-preservation, and developing interpersonal skills shows Camila’s anxiety while making clear her inner resilience. The intertwining of English and Spanish will feel familiar to many readers.
Compelling, relatable, and skillfully crafted. (Fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: March 18, 2025
ISBN: 9798890032195
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Page Street
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
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
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
