A promising and insightful romance.
Sixteen-year-old Bangladeshi American Karina Ahmed lives by a different set of rules than all of her friends.
Her Muslim parents insist that she go to medical school even though Karina would prefer to major in English—and they’re planning to arrange her marriage. Although she chafes against their restrictions, Karina is also terrified of disappointing her parents, a situation that has led her to a self-diagnosis of anxiety. Karina always assumed she would bend to her parents’ expectations until two events converge: Her parents leave for Bangladesh for a month and her English teacher asks her to tutor White student Alistair “Ace” Clyde, the school’s notorious bad boy. At first, Ace does little to endear himself to Karina: He doesn’t take studying seriously, and he announces to his parents that they are in a relationship without asking Karina’s consent. But as the two get to know each other, they start to realize that they have more in common than they thought. As their friendship deepens into a romance, and as her parents’ return grows closer, Karina must decide how much she is willing to sacrifice to satisfy them. Karina’s experiences are raw and conveyed empathetically, encompassing as they do real issues of gender inequality in South Asian communities. While the narratorial voice is strong, exposition explaining scenes that already shine with depth and meaning slows down what would otherwise be an action-packed plot.
A promising and insightful romance. (Romance. 13-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-335-20997-9
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 4, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 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
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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