An emotional, heartwarming debut filled with queer joy.
A camera-shy singer and an angry punk rocker find a common bond.
Sasha and their brother, Augustus, form the pop duo Admirer—but Sasha is tired of fame. For years, they’ve worn a helmet with a reflective visor in public, even while performing, and it’s become part of their brand. They even pretend to date Isabelle, their actor friend—it’s great for the algorithm. But when Augustus is arrested, Sasha is expected to reveal their face and defend him on a talk show to drum up popular support before the trial. Sasha, who believes Augustus is in the wrong, decides it’s time to disappear. They head to a “nowhere city” to start over—and finish high school. There, nonbinary Sasha meets bisexual Lillian, who’s still reeling from a recent breakup, as well as her bandmates, Cyprus and Quinn, who’s gay and transgender. Lillian immediately feels pulled toward the mysterious Sasha, and they connect over their deep love of music—although Sasha is clearly hiding something. The story unfolds in Sasha’s and Lillian’s alternating first-person perspectives and includes songwriter Lillian’s lyrics. Plett shows the power of music to express one’s feelings and form connections with others, and they emphasize the importance of having safe spaces to exist unapologetically and explore being queer. Quinn and Cyprus are strong side characters, contributing to the overall affirming and celebratory atmosphere. Most main characters present white, and Quinn is cued as having Middle Eastern ancestry.
An emotional, heartwarming debut filled with queer joy. (Fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: Oct. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9781779460295
Page Count: 406
Publisher: Groundwood
Review Posted Online: July 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2025
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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