A relationship-driven story that suffers from underdeveloped characterization.
A chronically single teen boy plans to turn himself into the perfect boyfriend—but finding love where he least expects it wasn’t on his list.
Six failed crushes have left Leonardo Martino feeling rejected and unlovable. With his senior year just beginning, he needs to work on realizing his First Great Love Story before graduation. So Leo creates the Boyfriend Material Checklist, which includes tasks to accomplish such as developing “a powerhouse presence” and getting “a glam glow-up.” As he starts checking items off the list, people begin to take notice—including middle school best friend and crush Lincoln Chan, the Chinese American boy who ghosted him after eighth grade and who’s now one of the Fierce Five, their school’s social elite. White-presenting Leo’s best friends, Dillon and Varsha, have mixed opinions on the checklist. Varsha thinks it could be a fun experiment while Dillon is eager to assure Leo that he’s great the way he is. Leo’s attempts to change himself put a strain on his relationship with both his besties, making it hard for him to open up about troubles he’s having at home. Unfortunately, the lack of on-page development of some characters’ relationships makes it difficult to believe in their stories. Similarly, Leo’s motivations seem to oscillate throughout the story without clear explanation, which lessens his relatability as a lead.
A relationship-driven story that suffers from underdeveloped characterization. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Jan. 14, 2025
ISBN: 9781335147264
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2024
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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