A rough cut in need of sharper editing to truly make the facets shine.
Drug cartel violence spills across the border, forever changing the lives of teens in the small town of Tanner, Texas, in Banerjee’s debut novel.
Cade seems to be the classic boy next door—farmer’s son and star quarterback—when he stumbles upon a young woman with piercing blue eyes clinging to life in his family’s corn field. Cade is understanding of Jane Doe’s desire to keep her violent past a secret and vows to help her find freedom, but the more involved he becomes, the less either of them can hide the truth of their lives. The simmering affection between Cade and Jane adds a strong romantic subplot to a novel which otherwise reads like a thriller. However, several details of the setting ring false, likely distracting readers familiar with Texas. The pacing is also awkward at times, as violence strikes early and often, making it difficult to maintain the suspense, and a weekend tryst on South Padre Island does little to advance plot or characterization. Though the book takes on tough issues surrounding drug cartels, alcoholism, and foster care, to name a few, the issues with setting and plot make the story too clunky for these to shine. Cade and Jane both read as white, though there are many strong Latinx supporting characters, including Cade’s best friend, Mateo.
A rough cut in need of sharper editing to truly make the facets shine. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 6, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-451-47835-1
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Sept. 16, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
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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