A timely, unsettling, and insightful read.
An Instagram influencer who uses a wheelchair becomes embroiled in conspiracies.
Quinn Calvet’s junior year isn’t starting out well. She’d hoped to bond with her older sister, Ava, before Ava left for college; hang with her best friend, Ximena; and boost engagement on her Instagram account, “The Whine.” But Ava’s obsessed with grades and extracurriculars, especially Defend Kids, a club to fight child trafficking…which is helmed by notorious bully Cade Bird. And Ximena’s inseparable from her boyfriend, making Quinn—who already feels socially behind her peers after rheumatoid arthritis caused her to miss most of seventh grade—feel left out. When Cade reports that two classmates have disappeared, Quinn amplifies the news on “The Whine.” But as her followers skyrocket, commenters mob “The Whine” with conspiracy theories and coded references to the Cabal, a mysterious organization supposedly abducting kids across the Northeast U.S. Soon, Quinn’s social media account becomes a vector for misinformation and vigilantes’ violent threats as she and attractive Asher King, her unexpected sidekick, frantically sort fact from fiction. But how can Quinn deactivate her Instagram and lose this source of income when her family struggles financially? Otis, a former CIA officer, realistically examines conspiracy theories while extending compassion to believers. The dialogue is occasionally heavy on exposition, and some secondary characters lack nuance; however, the author’s portrayals of disability, ableism, and growing up experiencing both are insightful. Most main characters are White.
A timely, unsettling, and insightful read. (author’s note) (Suspense. 14-18)Pub Date: June 6, 2023
ISBN: 9781338806762
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: April 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2023
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
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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