Hankies, cold showers and possibly a neck brace for all the emotional whiplash are recommended.
Hunky Indian were-tiger–sibling rivals continue to claw at the heart of their American lady love in this quest quartet’s penultimate doorstopper.
Devastated that the elder brother, Ren, walled off all memory of their passionate love and psychic attachment in the previous episode (he had his reasons), Kelsey embraces the sultry affections of Kishan. No sooner does she promise Kishan that he’s The One than Ren regains his memories, though, and, being jealous and controlling as well as still being her “blue eyed prince” and “dark Poseidon,” proceeds to screw the romantic conflict to agonizing levels. (So to speak: For all the steamy snogging, neither tiger prince still even gets to second base here.) Eventually Kelsey and company set off on a nautical quest for a magical Necklace that is the third of the goddess Durga’s four promised gifts and the next stage in removing the ancient curse that forces the two men to spend part of each day as big cats. Having thrown a kraken, a giant shark and no fewer than five dragons at her tempestuous trio, Houck trots in the malign sorcerer Lokesh for a climactic battle, and sets up the closer with a cliffhanger reversal of fortune. Lines such as, “It’s time for me to let myself love again,” and, “Ren’s love was an all-consuming fire, but Kishan was more like…a space heater,” are representative.
Hankies, cold showers and possibly a neck brace for all the emotional whiplash are recommended. (Paranormal romance. 13 & up)Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4027-8405-7
Page Count: 560
Publisher: Splinter/Sterling
Review Posted Online: Nov. 1, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2011
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
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.
In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me, three characters tell their sides of the story.
Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind. (author’s note, content warning) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781728276229
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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