Letta is an ordinary English schoolgirl until 1989, when her life is transformed by the resurgence of ethnic identification after the fall of communism. Her family is from Varina, a fictitious Balkan nation split among Yugoslavia, Romania, and Bulgaria. Although her brothers have British wives and Mum devotes herself to IBM, Letta studies Varinian language and legends with her grandfather, Restaur Vax, descendant and namesake of the hero who liberated Varina from the Turks. Grandad, too, had a historic role: For two weeks in 1945, before the Russians imprisoned him for 30 years, he was Varina's last Prime Minister. Now he's to open a folk festival in Varina's former capital, with his family—and thousands of other expatriate Varinians—going along. The Romanian government is uneasy at this outburst of nationalism, and rightly so. A charismatic but unscrupulous ``blond thug,'' Otto Vasa, will manipulate the situation for his own ends. As he did in AK (1992), Dickinson explores political scenarios with sensitivity. Most intriguing are the Varinians' legends (in alternate chapters), which inform their sense of identity and parallel the contemporary action. Written with an elegant biblical cadence and furnished with wryly scholarly footnotes, these add both texture and depth. Since Letta is mostly seen safe in Britain, her perspective is less involving than Paul's in AK; and more of the ideas here are explicated in dialogue rather than action. Thought-provoking and expertly told. (Fiction. 12+)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1994
ISBN: 0-385-32110-4
Page Count: 296
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 1994
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 book that seamlessly brings readers along on a journey of impact and empowerment.
A manifesto for budding feminists.
At the core of this engaging novel are besties Chelsea, who is Irish- and Italian-American and into fashion and beauty, and Jasmine, who is African-American, loves the theater, and pushes back against bias around size (“I don’t need your fake compliments, your pity. I know I’m beautiful. Inside and out”). They and their sidekicks, half-Japanese/half-Lebanese Nadine and Puerto Rican Isaac, grow into first-class activists—simultaneously educating their peers and readers. The year gets off to a rocky start at their progressive, social justice–oriented New York City high school: Along with the usual angst many students experience, Jasmine’s father is terminally ill with cancer, and after things go badly in both their clubs, Jasmine and Chelsea form a women’s rights club which becomes the catalyst for their growth as they explore gender inequality and opportunities for change. This is an inspiring look at two strong-willed teens growing into even stronger young women ready to use their voices and take on the world, imploring budding feminists everywhere to “join the revolution.” The book offers a poetic balance of dialogue among the main characters, their peers, and the adults in their lives. The exquisite pacing, which intersperses everyday teen conflicts with weightier issues, demonstrates how teens long to be heard and taken seriously.
A book that seamlessly brings readers along on a journey of impact and empowerment. (resources for young activists, endnotes) (Fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Feb. 12, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0008-3
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2019
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