A powerful and compelling work that’s packed with action and intrigue.
In Alewine’s YA drama set in ancient Israel, a young teenager must find and rescue his kidnapped father against considerable odds.
Although he’s only 12 years old, Tzakhi is already an expert horseman, as well as a skilled desert tracker and fighter. He yearns to live a life of adventure as a horse trainer for Israel’s King Melekh Shlomo, or as a soldier or scout. However, he’s destined to soon follow in the footsteps of his father, Nachshon, the chief metalworker and “mind of the king…when it came to preparing weapons of war.” When Tzakhi comes of age, he’s expected to “pass into the fires as an apprentice,” learning to transform raw copper and iron into useful tools—a life-path he abhors, but one his father insists he must follow. Then disaster descends upon the family when Nachshon is kidnapped by “man-stealers,” who whisk him away, leaving hardly a trace behind. Because Nachshon is a keeper of “iron secrets,” this has always been a possibility, as many rivals seek his esoteric knowledge. As this riveting novel goes on, Tzakhi realizes his father’s guards are going about their investigation all wrong, and that he, himself, may the only tracker capable of finding him: “The only soldiers still here don’t know how to track or survive. The other men who live here and could pursue, won’t. A band of raiders big and powerful enough to steal the king’s chief mine steward is nothing the men here would risk pursuing without a detachment of soldiers.” Relying only upon “ancient desert-craft,” the youngster sets out on his own to locate Nachshon, although he’s sure to encounter a band of jackals that will try to keep him from his goal.
Tzakhi is a memorable protagonist who’s shown to be wise and brave far beyond his years; he’s also endowed with a precocious sense of the life he’d like to lead, if only he were given the chance. Alewine, in an author’s note, admits that his work of historical fiction takes some considerable liberties and “does not rise to the academic standards of history, archaeology, Biblical criticism, rabbinic literature, linguistics, or even metallurgy.” Be that as it may, she undeniably brings a distant time to vivid life, making its particular cultural concerns emotionally relevant to modern readers. As the kidnapping of Nachshon is an inherently political act, it can only be elucidated by a nuanced account of the complex politics of the age, which the author provides with an accessible clarity. The novel as a whole is relatively brief—fewer than 250 pages in length—and the plot marches along at a pace that’s initially brisk and then nearly breakneck. As a result, the tension mounts at a fast clip, and the author creates an atmosphere that’s thick with suspense. Readers won’t be able to help but cheer Tzakhi on in his quest to recover his father and maybe win a chance to craft his own fate. Overall, this is a captivating work of historical fiction, rendered with keen intelligence. A powerful and compelling work that’s packed with action and intrigue.Pub Date: July 1, 2025
ISBN: 9781636986012
Page Count: 180
Publisher: Morgan James YA Fiction
Review Posted Online: May 1, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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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