Quick paced and entertaining.
Following Trial by Fire (2016), teen sleuth Riley Donovan has a murder mystery on her hands.
After school one day, the screams of cheerleaders draw Riley to the body of a fellow student, Ethan Crawford, dead after falling off of the roof of the rec center. The police—including Riley’s guardian, Aunt Ginny—are less than thrilled to see the young white gumshoe there, especially when she tells them of a figure she saw on the roof. That fact, along with other evidence, leads investigators to believe that the death wasn’t strictly accidental. Riley’s tied up in the investigation whether she likes it or not—in the weeks prior to his death, Ethan broke up with his girlfriend and sought out Riley’s company; beyond that, Riley’s friend (and possible eventual love interest) is keeping secrets. When Riley is assigned to assist the strict football coach (who has it out for Riley), she gains access to Ethan’s teammates and promptly takes advantage of it to interview them and find places where the official story doesn’t add up. The football aspect of the story is a bit weak—admittedly, Riley doesn’t know much about it, but the vague details of the team and player positions may confuse readers who do. The mystery, however, has plenty of suspects (most lacking racial detail) and a final surprise alliance.
Quick paced and entertaining. (Mystery. 12-18)Pub Date: Oct. 25, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4598-0933-8
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Orca
Review Posted Online: Aug. 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2016
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
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
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