High drama and a breathless pace make this a riveting read
A British teen still recovering from her own trauma is wracked with panic when her closest friend goes missing.
Tattooed, pierced Jess and golden, tanned Eden are on the surface an odd pair. Yet the best friends have had each other’s backs for years—even more so in the wake of a brutal beating Jess sustained at the hands of strangers and the recent death of Eden’s older sister in a car accident. Flashbacks are strategically placed throughout the contemporary narrative, which takes place over the course of just one day, very effectively drawing out the suspense. Eden’s binge drinking and wildly unpredictable behavior since her sister’s death have left Jess very unsure of her friend’s state of mind. Her quick decision to duck out from the protection of her loving and understanding mum and set out with Eden’s boyfriend, Liam, to look for her propels the novel forward. While some readers will appreciate the straightforward winding up of the many loose ends, others may find the conclusion too neat. Main characters Jess, Eden, and Liam are white, and several secondary characters are black. Jess’ mum is a lesbian; her dad has remarried, and Jess has two biracial (black/white) stepsisters.
High drama and a breathless pace make this a riveting read . (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: June 27, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-338-12120-9
Page Count: 288
Publisher: David Fickling/Phoenix/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2017
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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