Superbly woven; a bold, deep portrayal of a young voice who needs to be heard.
To navigate her school and home lives through depression and PTSD, a 12-year-old Latina girl retreats into her poetry and journal.
Seventh grader Iveliz plans to make this a great year despite recent trauma. Her abuela Mimi’s arrival from Puerto Rico means a chance to feel like a family again, filling in the space left by her father’s absence. But Mimi’s Alzheimer’s has progressed since the last time Iveliz saw her, and Iveliz’s fraught relationship with her distant, always working Mami doesn’t help to keep the peace either. Meanwhile, her friendship with Amir, a boy from Afghanistan, seems to be on the rocks, and Iveliz keeps getting in trouble at school thanks to bullies, an ill-conceived revenge plot, and awkward attempts to forge a new friendship. Going to therapy and managing her medication also eat away at Iveliz even as she tries to find solace in visions of her dad. Full of heartbreak and compassion, Arango’s debut crackles with refreshing frankness and wit. The author excels at building Iveliz’s voice through each poem, leading to a tale that’s quick to read yet hard to put down. The creative use of varied poetic forms supports moments of levity and catharsis. Final art not seen.
Superbly woven; a bold, deep portrayal of a young voice who needs to be heard. (author’s note, resources) (Verse novel. 10-14)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-56397-7
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
Riveting, inspiring, and sometimes hilarious.
If you made a recording to be heard by the aliens who found the iPod, what would you record?
For 11-year-old Alex Petroski, it's easy. He records everything. He records the story of how he travels to New Mexico to a rocket festival with his dog, Carl Sagan, and his rocket. He records finding out that a man with the same name and birthday as his dead father has an address in Las Vegas. He records eating at Johnny Rockets for the first time with his new friends, who are giving him a ride to find his dead father (who might not be dead!), and losing Carl Sagan in the wilds of Las Vegas, and discovering he has a half sister. He even records his own awful accident. Cheng delivers a sweet, soulful debut novel with a brilliant, refreshing structure. His characters manage to come alive through the “transcript” of Alex’s iPod recording, an odd medium that sounds like it would be confusing but really works. Taking inspiration from the Voyager Golden Record released to space in 1977, Alex, who explains he has “light brown skin,” records all the important moments of a journey that takes him from a family of two to a family of plenty.
Riveting, inspiring, and sometimes hilarious. (Fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Feb. 28, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-399-18637-0
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
Guaranteed to enchant, enthrall, and enmagick.
An elderly witch, a magical girl, a brave carpenter, a wise monster, a tiny dragon, paper birds, and a madwoman converge to thwart a magician who feeds on sorrow.
Every year Elders of the Protectorate leave a baby in the forest, warning everyone an evil Witch demands this sacrifice. In reality, every year, a kind witch named Xan rescues the babies and find families for them. One year Xan saves a baby girl with a crescent birthmark who accidentally feeds on moonlight and becomes “enmagicked.” Magic babies can be tricky, so Xan adopts little Luna herself and lovingly raises her, with help from an ancient swamp monster and a chatty, wee dragon. Luna’s magical powers emerge as her 13th birthday approaches. Meanwhile, Luna’s deranged real mother enters the forest to find her daughter. Simultaneously, a young carpenter from the Protectorate enters the forest to kill the Witch and end the sacrifices. Xan also enters the forest to rescue the next sacrificed child, and Luna, the monster, and the dragon enter the forest to protect Xan. In the dramatic denouement, a volcano erupts, the real villain attempts to destroy all, and love prevails. Replete with traditional motifs, this nontraditional fairy tale boasts sinister and endearing characters, magical elements, strong storytelling, and unleashed forces. Luna has black eyes, curly, black hair, and “amber” skin.
Guaranteed to enchant, enthrall, and enmagick. (Fantasy. 10-14)Pub Date: Aug. 9, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-61620-567-6
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Algonquin
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
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