A story about sexual assault that takes an unusual approach.
A girl struggles to understand what happened the night she was assaulted while one of the boys involved wrestles with the role he played.
The morning after a party, Erica wakes half naked in an unfamiliar room with the names of boys and lewd words written all over her body. The last thing she recalls is her hope for a blossoming new relationship with Thomas, the soulful lacrosse player she’d been crushing on since she transferred to her new high school. Relieved not to find Thomas’ name on her body, Erica tries to make sense of what happened and avoid the humiliation of everyone else finding out before she does. Meanwhile, in alternating segments, Thomas attempts to repress his own memories of his involvement in what transpired. Before long, graphic photos and videos start to circulate among their classmates, causing ripple effects that affect their relationships and their mental health as Thomas grapples with his guilt and Erica’s despair deepens. Weighty themes of sexual assault, bullying, and suicidal ideation are conveyed through Erica’s and Thomas’ extensive interior monologues, yet despite this, their characters don’t feel fully three-dimensional. The narrative is interspersed with illustrated panels from Erica’s webcomic about her alter ego, Erica Strange, which do not add significantly to the story. Most major characters are White.
A story about sexual assault that takes an unusual approach. (resources) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: July 20, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-7369-0
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: April 29, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2021
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
Raw, delicate, and deeply caring.
When Death-Cast doesn’t call, fate intertwines the lives of two boys, both haunted by their pasts and with futures they can’t escape.
In this third installment of the series that opened with 2017’s They Both Die at the End, Paz Dario waits every night for Death-Cast to call—as it should have for his father nearly 10 years ago, when Paz shot him to save his mother’s life. But the call never comes. Death-Cast killed Paz’s dreams of an acting career: No one will hire him now because the world sees him as a villain. When Paz tries (not for the first time) to put an end to his suffering, an unexpected encounter with Alano Rosa, the heir of Death-Cast, stops him. Both in a place of desperation, Alano and Paz sign a contract to live for Begin Days instead of waiting for their End Days. As suspenseful and emotionally wrenching as the previous titles in the series, this new installment explores heavy themes of abuse, mental health, self-harm, and suicide. Paz grapples with a recent diagnosis of borderline personality disorder. Silvera surrounds Alano and Paz with a web of complex relationships. Although the protagonists fall fast for one another and form a deep connection over Alano’s desire to support Paz, Silvera emphasizes the importance of professional help. Both Alano and Paz have Puerto Rican heritage. The cliffhanger ending promises more to come.
Raw, delicate, and deeply caring. (content warning, resources) (Speculative fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780063240858
Page Count: 720
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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