An adorable romance with strong coming-of-age elements.
A sweet queer love story unfolds on a train.
This accessible novel for reluctant readers features two charming leads readers can’t help but root for. Ben Ross loves his comfort zone, and he avoids making waves. Caleb Khoury is the cool guy from school Ben barely knows, although he’s upset with him: Last week Caleb accidentally broke Ben’s phone when the basketball he threw hit Ben by mistake, leaving him unable to text anyone or listen to music for nine days. As usual, Ben spent his March break visiting his dad in Toronto even though they don’t particularly get along. Now, all he really wants is to get back to Ottawa, but his seatmate for the train ride home is none other than Caleb. Most of the story takes place during the five hours they share on the train as the boys learn they have more in common than they knew. Ben discovers that Caleb is also queer—not gay like him but bisexual. And what brings that up is an attractive guy on the train who’s definitely into Caleb, something that makes Ben feel…strange. Not that he has any right to feel jealous; after all, it’s not like he’s developing a crush on Caleb, is he? The cute banter between the boys will keep readers engaged as the sparks fly and they look past first impressions. Caleb is cued as having Middle Eastern heritage; Ben reads White.
An adorable romance with strong coming-of-age elements. (Romance. 13-18)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2023
ISBN: 9781459417274
Page Count: 176
Publisher: James Lorimer
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2023
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
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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