A sensitive survivor story for reluctant readers.
Six months after his girlfriend’s death, a young man tries to honor her life by making the most of his own.
Fate has not been kind to Kipp. Hardened by a series of unstable and neglectful living situations and wracked with guilt over the death of his girlfriend, he’s determined to make something of himself, working tirelessly to get back on track after a stint in a youth rehabilitation center. Getting fired from his restaurant shift manager job after confronting an Islamophobic customer and losing his apartment in a single day, however, drag him to the pits of despair. An unexpected offer of shelter and employment from Reba, a former volunteer at the youth center, seems almost too good to be true, and Kipp jumps at the chance to redeem himself. But Reba is hiding secrets of her own, and Kipp soon finds himself battling not just for his livelihood, but his very life. The story is complex, with many interconnected parts—Kipp’s childhood, his relationship with his girlfriend, and his spiral into drug addiction and subsequent rehabilitation—although readers may wish for deeper character development. Events of the present day unfold at an engagingly brisk pace, even if the ending wraps up a bit too neatly. Kipp is a plucky and introspective narrator whose struggles will likely resonate with readers who will root for him as he works to right his rapidly crumbling world. Main characters seem to be white; important secondary characters are cued as Chinese Canadian.
A sensitive survivor story for reluctant readers. (Fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Aug. 18, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4598-2389-1
Page Count: 120
Publisher: Orca
Review Posted Online: May 15, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
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
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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