An absorbing, empathetic story that explores personal ethics and peeks behind the curtains of online perfectionism.
A Korean American microinfluencer must choose between profit and personal values.
Sixteen-year-old Charlotte Goh entered the world of online influencing as a way to relieve her family’s financial strain. Wanting to spare her younger sister, Jojo, from the money-related arguments between her appa and umma that she grew up with, Charlotte turned to social media, hoping to leverage an audience for sponsorships. At a fashion preview in New York, she confronts some white girls over their racist comments about Audrey Sena, a popular Asian American influencer, and makes them apologize. When Audrey credits Charlotte with defending her in an Instagram post about the incident, Charlotte’s follower count immediately explodes. Charlotte’s new friendship with Audrey has other perks too, including joining Audrey’s social circle and going on dates with a handsome actor. A generous sponsorship opportunity soon lands in Charlotte’s lap, but there’s a catch: Other influencers are boycotting the company for stealing the work of Asian designers. This fast-moving story examines themes of authenticity and representation as Charlotte navigates the contradiction between an influencer’s curated social media presence and their audience’s expectations of honesty and genuine connection. Charlotte’s home life as an eldest child shouldering her parents’ emotional and financial burdens is vividly drawn and contrasts sharply with the carefree, trendy lifestyles of her more affluent influencer friends.
An absorbing, empathetic story that explores personal ethics and peeks behind the curtains of online perfectionism. (Fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: April 29, 2025
ISBN: 9780593403167
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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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