Readers will be moved by Maddie and Ivan's deep, enduring friendship.
Two friends grapple with parental pressures and neglect as they struggle to take control of their lives the summer following graduation.
Maddie and Ivan have lived their whole lives in their coastal Canadian town of Bear Harbour. Though Maddie lives in a warm and loving home with her two dads, Ivan has been stuck with Des, his barely functioning, alcoholic father, since his mother left 10 years before. The two white friends spend their days surfing while Maddie contemplates her future—to attend university to satisfy the expectations of her supportive yet overbearing parents or to find her own way as an artist. Meanwhile, Ivan seems to be stuck in the precarious present; as Des starts to act ever more irresponsibly, Ivan feels obligated to clean up his messes while hiding Des' problems from the community. When Maddie begins to catch on that all is not well in Ivan's home, she is desperate to help him without betraying his trust, and she struggles to understand why Ivan cannot leave Des behind and move on with his life. As related in alternating first-person chapters, the friendship depicted between the two is tender and authentic. A strong, palpable sense of place anchors the story as Maddie and Ivan teeter on the precipice of independence.
Readers will be moved by Maddie and Ivan's deep, enduring friendship. (Fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Oct. 11, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4598-1062-4
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Orca
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
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
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
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