To everyone around him, Michael Kerrigan is “almost too good to be true.” He’s a runner hoping to compete in college, he writes obituaries as an editorial assistant for the Scranton Observer and he never hangs out with troublemakers. But when lockers are searched at East Scranton High School and marijuana is found in his, Michael is faced with a moral dilemma: “Where do you draw the line with your integrity? Do you protect yourself or your friend?” This isn’t an original dilemma for a young-adult novel, and here it’s never adequately played out or resolved. In fact, readers may get to the end of this too-brief work and wonder, “Where’s the rest?” Yet the story has a lot going for it: a solid first-person voice and lively dialogue, an innovative use of “not dead yet” obituaries to flesh out secondary characters and a superb depiction of Scranton and Michael’s oneness with his city. Readers will wish there were more to it. (Fiction. YA)
Pub Date: Oct. 9, 2007
ISBN: 978-0-375-81352-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2007
Fluffy and not particularly memorable.
A teen finds himself sharing a room with the boy who broke his heart.
Charlie von Hevringprinz has achieved his dreams of transitioning and attending Valentine Academy for Boys, located in Au Sable Forks, a tiny town in “middle-of-nowhere upstate New York.” When he arrives, he’s appalled to find that even though he requested and paid for a single room, he was assigned a roommate: Jasper Grimes, the handsome poet who broke Charlie’s heart when they were at Shakespeare camp before his transition. Charlie comes off as intellectually snobby and frustratingly lacking in self-awareness; meanwhile, Jasper’s terrible boundaries do nothing to subvert the first impression of him as an entitled rich boy. Unfortunately, their character development doesn’t do enough to add vulnerability or depth to these initial impressions, making it hard for readers to feel butterflies over their romantic drama. The Saint Valentine–themed private boarding school setting is a classic of the genre, however, and as a backdrop, it contributes to an enjoyably campy vibe. The writing is pleasantly readable, but the plot is reminiscent of clichés from internet fandom, something reinforced by the title, which references an old meme. If fans of queer young adult romance make it to the second half, they’ll find that the story does become more interesting, ultimately ending on a sweet, romantic note. Charlie and Jasper read white, while the supporting cast contains racial diversity.
Fluffy and not particularly memorable. (map) (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: May 27, 2025
ISBN: 9781250347657
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
A troubling depiction of an unhealthy relationship.
A battered girl and an injured rugby star spark up an ill-advised romance at an Irish secondary school.
Beautiful, waiflike, 15-year-old Shannon has lived her entire life in Ballylaggin. Alternately bullied at school and beaten by her ne’er-do-well father, she’s hopeful for a fresh start at Tommen, a private school. Seventeen-year-old Johnny, who has a hair-trigger temper and a severe groin injury, is used to Dublin’s elite-level rugby but, since his family’s move to County Cork, is now stuck captaining Tommen’s middling team. When Johnny angrily kicks a ball and knocks Shannon unconscious (“a soft female groan came from her lips”), a tentative relationship is born. As the two grow closer, Johnny’s past and Shannon’s present become serious obstacles to their budding love, threatening Shannon’s safety. Shannon’s portrayal feels infantilized (“I looked down at the tiny little female under my arm”), while Johnny comes across as borderline obsessive (“I knew I shouldn’t be touching her, but how the hell could I not?”). Uneven pacing and choppy sentences lead to a sudden climax and an unsatisfyingly abrupt ending. Repetitive descriptions, abundant and misogynistic dialogue (Johnny, to his best friend: “who’s the bitch with a vagina now?”), and graphic violence also weigh down this lengthy tome (considerably trimmed down from its original, self-published length). The cast of lively, well-developed supporting characters, especially Johnny’s best friend and Shannon’s protective older brother, is a bright spot. Major characters read white.
A troubling depiction of an unhealthy relationship. (author’s note, pronunciations, glossary, song moments, playlists) (Romance. 16-18)Pub Date: Nov. 28, 2023
ISBN: 9781728299945
Page Count: 626
Publisher: Bloom Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 21, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2023
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