Poignant and moving, with an undercurrent of romance.
A meet-cute moment between two Fresno seniors transforms a mediocre prom night into an evening of unplanned adventure.
When Sikh teen Sunny Gill’s brother, Goldy, died, he left behind a chaotic journal that Sunny has decided to fill with a list of uncharacteristically impulsive goals, starting with getting a makeover and going to prom. The timing coincides with Goldy’s barsi, marking the anniversary of his death, but Sunny isn’t ready to face the finality it represents or explain to all the aunties and uncles why he shaved his beard and stopped wearing a turban. He’s also not in the mood to see his best friend, West African British Ngozi, whose impending post-graduation departure to attend Berkeley he resents. That doesn’t stop Ngozi from enlisting the help of Hmong American classmate Mindii Vang to rescue Sunny from prom and coax him into attending the Snollygoster Soiree, an annual event dedicated to Ngozi and Sunny’s favorite fantasy book series. With several hours to kill, Mindii and Sunny pass the time by making rash decisions to add to his list. The novel’s premise is simple, allowing Sunny’s layered characterization and conflicting emotions to take center stage: His varied interests include cosplay, crochet, and heavy metal, and he struggles with stuttering and insecurity. Mindii is an empathetic partner whose willingness to open up about her own grief shows Sunny that he’s not as alone as he thinks.
Poignant and moving, with an undercurrent of romance. (Fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: Feb. 8, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-10997-7
Page Count: 300
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 14, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2021
PERSPECTIVES
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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