An unusual look at love from Wersba (You'll Never Guess the End, 1992, etc.), whose upbeat, idiosyncratic explorations of happily-ever-after in such novels as Fat, A Love Story (1987, o.p.) finds a more sorrowful path here. Noli, a skinny, boyish girl, constantly fights with her mother, who would like her to appear more feminine. When angelic- looking, super-athletic, erudite TJ enrolls in her school, Noli is surprised at his bestowal of near-instant friendship on her. Their bond runs deep: He is forthright about his love for her, and about his disapproval of her budding alcoholism. Noli wants their relationship to be more physical, but TJ seems content, and only when an attempt to seduce him fails does she allow herself to know the truth: TJ is gay, and is—under parental pressure- -attempting to lead a straight life. Their split is violent and permanent: Several months later, Noli has a careful, cordial encounter with TJ, who longs to remain friends, but she cannot- -hers is a passionate love, not a platonic one. The encompassing emotions that complicate Noli's feelings for TJ run true, even while aspects of this graceful story are more burdensome than enlightening. Noli needs no drinking problems nor family troubles in her background to fall in love with TJ; readers will love him, too, even as they realize the reason he holds himself gently aloof. This isn't a perfect story, but its characters are perfectly human, and Wersba makes poetry of the arrival of unbidden love. (Fiction. 13+)
Pub Date: March 1, 1997
ISBN: 0-8050-4850-2
Page Count: 108
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1997
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters.
When star hockey player Alec Barczewski’s estranged childhood friend, Dani Collins, moves to town, they end up in a mutually beneficial fake-dating relationship that reignites old feelings.
Following her parents’ divorce, Dani and her mom move in with Dani’s hockey legend grandfather in Southview, Minnesota, where she spent a month every summer as a child and where her friendship with Alec grew. Between visits, the two were pen pals, but they eventually fell out of touch. Despite some tensions over their loss of friendship, the high school seniors reconnect. Desperate to get off Harvard’s waitlist, Dani needs another extracurricular activity, while Alec—whose reputation took a hit when a photo of him holding a bong appeared on social media—is eager to improve his tarnished image for NHL scouts. The pair strike a deal: They’ll fake date, making Alec look like a stable guy whose academically gifted girlfriend is related to hockey royalty, and in exchange, he’ll get Dani a team manager position that will catch the eye of Harvard’s admissions officers. Eventually, complicated feelings about their past, stressful family relationships, and their brewing romance boil over. Romance fans will love the deliciously tension-filled scenes between Alec and Dani, who are believable friends with heavy demands weighing on them. They feel like real teenagers, and readers will enjoy rooting for them as the well-paced story unfolds. Main characters present white.
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2025
ISBN: 9781665921268
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
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
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