Riverdale enthusiasts may appreciate this unnecessary literary adaptation.
Archie Andrews is on trial for murder, and his friends are determined to save him.
Cassidy Bullock and his friends terrorized Archie, Jughead, Betty, and Veronica while they were spending the weekend in Shadow Lake, and when Cassidy is killed, Hiram Lodge frames Archie for it. Archie blames himself for ever getting involved in Hiram’s schemes, Veronica turns her back on her parents for the sake of love, Betty struggles to cope after learning that her father was the Black Hood serial killer, and Jughead becomes the new King of the Serpents biker gang after his father steps down. They attend a party at Reggie’s house, but distressing confrontations with others make them leave for Pop’s Chock’Lit Shoppe, where they decide to return to Shadow Lake to search for evidence to prove Archie’s innocence. Ostow’s (The Day Before, 2018, etc.) second Riverdale story offers a directionless plot that hints at future key points that are explored in the CW’s show. Through alternating perspectives, readers gain insight into characters other than the core four, including Reggie, who views Archie as his rival; Josie, who is focused on the success of the Pussycats; and Ethel, who is entranced by the mysterious Gargoyle King who promises happiness in exchange for her unwavering loyalty. With few physical descriptions, characters’ diversity is assumed to match the cast of the show.
Riverdale enthusiasts may appreciate this unnecessary literary adaptation. (Fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: May 28, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-28948-0
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 17, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
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