by Kate Stollenwerck ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 2, 2022
A solid young adult novel explores intergenerational relationships and a Holocaust legacy.
Awards & Accolades
Our Verdict
GET IT
Stollenwerck debuts with a young adult novel about a teenager who bonds with her grandmother and discovers family secrets.
Fifteen-year-old Hailey isn’t looking forward to spending time with her grandmother Gigi for the summer, but it’s the best way to keep her parents from nagging her about ACT prep, volunteering, or getting a job. Hailey’s mother and Gigi have a distant relationship, so Hailey has no expectations for their time together, but she quickly bonds with Gigi, who introduces her to the Beatles, The Great Gatsby, and driving a convertible. Being at Gigi’s house gives Hailey an opportunity to meet her school’s star football players, Blake and DeMarcus, who become her unexpected friends. She also learns some of the family’s complicated history from her grandmother. Gigi’s mother, Ilse, was a Holocaust survivor who died soon after giving birth, and her widowed father, Jack, sent Gigi to live with his sister while he took off for South America on a one-man crusade against escaped Nazis and stolen Jewish property. Hailey and Gigi take a road trip through rural Texas in search of more information about their family, but mysteries remain. When Gigi dies suddenly following a stroke, Hailey is devastated, and she’s even more upset when her mother claims that Gigi’s family stories are all lies. Hailey moves through her mourning process and discovers a hidden map Jack left for Gigi. With Blake’s help, she follows the map to discover hidden treasure and learn more about her extended family. Well-written and engaging, this story has an authentic voice likely to appeal to young adult readers. The pacing is a bit slow at times, but Stollenwerck does a good job of bringing together a sometimes-sprawling collection of characters and subplots into a coherent whole that is supported but not overwhelmed by historical facts. Hailey’s relationship with her father is particularly well done. Beatles fans will appreciate the organic integration of the band’s music into the story, and Gatsby plays an important role in the plot but remains appropriately in the background.
A solid young adult novel explores intergenerational relationships and a Holocaust legacy.Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-68463-145-2
Page Count: 280
Publisher: SparkPress
Review Posted Online: May 12, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Share your opinion of this book
More by Kate Stollenwerck
BOOK REVIEW
by Daniel Aleman ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 4, 2021
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
Share your opinion of this book
More by Daniel Aleman
BOOK REVIEW
More About This Book
PERSPECTIVES
by Laura Nowlin ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 6, 2024
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
Share your opinion of this book
More by Laura Nowlin
BOOK REVIEW
by Laura Nowlin
© 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
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.