A poignant, heartbreaking tale that will keep reluctant readers riveted.
A pregnant teen undergoes a harrowing journey in a county juvenile shelter in this accessibly written, drama-filled novel.
High school senior Ashley Muller has moved with her divorced mother to a small town several hours away from Milwaukee. Her mom, who became pregnant with Ashley at 16, didn’t go to college, but she hopes that Ashley will stay focused and get a degree. After Ashley discovers she’s pregnant with ex-boyfriend Danny Morales’ child, she decides she’ll keep the baby. Her mom (who was pressured by her own religious parents to give Ashley up for adoption) is concerned for Ashley’s future and at first suggests an abortion. After their landlord evicts them, Ashley stays with Madi Wendt, a wealthy friend who offers her Xanax for a panic attack. When Ashley takes it again to help her sleep, she seeks mental health support from a doctor, who pressures her to enter an in-patient rehab center. Ashley refuses, and the police take her into custody for child neglect. Meanwhile, Danny takes his paternal responsibilities seriously, getting a job and saving for the baby. This believably told story thoughtfully examines inequities that leave a caring teen mother without support while purporting to protect her child. Ashley’s inspiration from the ballet The Firebird is woven throughout this important work about a young woman who doesn’t give up despite tremendous odds. Ashley and Madi read white; Danny is cued Latine.
A poignant, heartbreaking tale that will keep reluctant readers riveted. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781631638374
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Jolly Fish Press
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
A thrilling, climactic storm with an abrupt conclusion.
In this much-anticipated trilogy closer following 2019’s Children of Virtue and Vengeance, an enemy from a land across the sea carries out conquests to fulfill a prophecy that threatens the entire world.
The war between the maji and the crown of Orïsha ends when the Skulls, a tribe of masked, pale-skinned invaders, interrupt the pivotal battle, abducting Zélie, Tzain, Amari, Inan, and dozens of maji from their homeland. Caged on a ship and cut off from their magic, they have no choice but to set aside their bitterness and distrust to fight for their freedom. Ruthless and empowered by the volatile magic of bloodmetal weapons, the Skulls hunt for Zélie, “a girl with the blood of the sun,” at the command of their king, Baldyr, who prepares for his ascension to godhood during the Blood Moon. As much as she longs to return home, visions and an intertwined fate pull Zélie, along with her companions, to the land of New Gaīa in search of a girl with russet-brown skin and eyes that glitter like diamonds. United goals, fresh conflict, and impending doom provide invigorating gusts of momentum that push the story out of the doldrums of the previous book. On its own, this installment is a suspenseful and compelling expansion of the world, but as a series finale, the conflict seems disconnected from the first two books, and the resolution feels rushed.
A thrilling, climactic storm with an abrupt conclusion. (guide to clans) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: June 25, 2024
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2024
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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