by Janet Tashjian ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2003
Senior Becky Martin, who has a loving family, a terrific best friend, and good grades, is slowly making a place for herself in San Francisco’s stand-up comedy scene. But she hasn’t felt successful in dating until she meets Kip, another aspiring comic. In an absorbing first-person narrative, Becky describes her relationship with Kip in which he gradually changes from adoring her to becoming controlling and jealous, and then hurting her physically as well as emotionally. Pages from Kip’s journal reveal that his father, now gone, had been abusive and that Kip feels like a loser and hates himself for hurting Becky. Details such as Becky’s increasing distance from friends and family ring true, although it may still be hard for readers to understand why someone so seemingly well-loved at home feels so inadequate. While not quite as insightful as Sarah Dessen’s Dreamland (2000), this should find a place in all libraries that serve teens, many of whom will recognize aspects of their own relationships in Becky and Kip’s. (Fiction. YA)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2003
ISBN: 0-8050-7200-4
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2003
Share your opinion of this book
More by Janet Tashjian
BOOK REVIEW
by Janet Tashjian ; illustrated by Jake Tashjian
BOOK REVIEW
by Janet Tashjian ; illustrated by Inga Wilmink
BOOK REVIEW
by Janet Tashjian ; illustrated by Laurie Keller
by Tomi Adeyemi ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 25, 2024
A thrilling, climactic storm with an abrupt conclusion.
In this much-anticipated trilogy closer following 2019’s Children of Virtue and Vengeance, an enemy from a land across the sea carries out conquests to fulfill a prophecy that threatens the entire world.
The war between the maji and the crown of Orïsha ends when the Skulls, a tribe of masked, pale-skinned invaders, interrupt the pivotal battle, abducting Zélie, Tzain, Amari, Inan, and dozens of maji from their homeland. Caged on a ship and cut off from their magic, they have no choice but to set aside their bitterness and distrust to fight for their freedom. Ruthless and empowered by the volatile magic of bloodmetal weapons, the Skulls hunt for Zélie, “a girl with the blood of the sun,” at the command of their king, Baldyr, who prepares for his ascension to godhood during the Blood Moon. As much as she longs to return home, visions and an intertwined fate pull Zélie, along with her companions, to the land of New Gaīa in search of a girl with russet-brown skin and eyes that glitter like diamonds. United goals, fresh conflict, and impending doom provide invigorating gusts of momentum that push the story out of the doldrums of the previous book. On its own, this installment is a suspenseful and compelling expansion of the world, but as a series finale, the conflict seems disconnected from the first two books, and the resolution feels rushed.
A thrilling, climactic storm with an abrupt conclusion. (guide to clans) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: June 25, 2024
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2024
Share your opinion of this book
More by Tomi Adeyemi
BOOK REVIEW
by Tomi Adeyemi
BOOK REVIEW
by Tomi Adeyemi
More About This Book
SEEN & HEARD
by Laura Nowlin ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2013
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
Share your opinion of this book
More by Laura Nowlin
BOOK REVIEW
by Laura Nowlin
More About This Book
SEEN & HEARD
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.