A portrait of codependency and consent that never fully coalesces.
The age gap between teens cast as Romeo and Juliet in 2010 Bristol, England, has long-term consequences.
Brooke, 14, daydreams about forbidden romantic love. There’s undeniable chemistry on stage between her and her co-star, Matt, but after they kiss at his 18th birthday celebration, Matt’s awkward attempts to backpedal fail. He’s drawn to Brooke despite recognizing the impropriety, and they see each other secretly, having unplanned sex right before he leaves for Lancaster University. Brooke is unsettled to learn in a sex ed class that her age means she couldn’t legally consent, and that Matt committed statutory rape; she struggles with depression and self-harm. In the second half of the story, the timeline jumps jarringly to 2014 and 2018. Readers glimpse the lasting impact of that first summer in the trajectory of the white-presenting leads’ adult lives. At 18, Brooke begins a new life in Seattle. A rocky start gradually smooths into a stable career and new love, and a therapist helps her address her self-esteem and codependency issues. Matt, never fully acknowledging his responsibility as the legal adult in their dysfunctional relationship, is unable to move on, though the ending suggests possible closure. The alternating first-person narration features more telling than showing, limiting the depth of the characterization, and the gritty adult storylines may be of limited appeal to teens.
A portrait of codependency and consent that never fully coalesces. (content warning, reader’s guide, support and resources) (Fiction. 16-adult)Pub Date: May 27, 2025
ISBN: 9781917275101
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Neem Tree Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
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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