Rising high-school senior Nick Doran walks to the beat of his own drummer—literally—and away from life’s problems—in this case, military school orientation, a consequence of accidentally starting a chimney fire. Leaving his parents a message on the answering machine (their regular form of communication), Nick sets out to spend the summer with his notoriously irresponsible aunt Wanda. But living with Wanda in her tiny cabin means living among the other “hippies” (O.K. Sunbeam, Jolly Roger, Rode Kool, Loosie Starshine, and Wanda’s quasi-boyfriend, Deke) at Happiness Far (the “m” lost long ago) and earning your keep, one of his aunt’s “how to make a house a home” philosophies. Summer at the Far progresses into communal festivities interrupted by “Stoners” (affluent teens of the neighboring Stone Coach Woods subdivision) attacks; Wanda losing her job again, due to her carelessness; Nick’s isolation from his parents, who still grieve for Nick’s older brother; his romance with “Stoner” Diana; and his protection of Diana and her sisters from their sexually abusive father. Although Nick learns to communicate with his all-too-human parents, both Nick and Wanda accept responsibility for their actions (i.e., mature), and Nick finds a home where he can stay, the plot and its happily-ever-after ending seem entirely implausible. What will keep readers plodding along are Many’s (The Great Pancake Escape, p. 452, etc.) strengths in characterization (albeit clichéd at times), strong appeal to male YAs, and humor in the face of life’s most trying time—growing up. (Fiction. YA)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2002
ISBN: 0-8027-8828-9
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Walker
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2002
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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