A satisfying and emotionally resonant coming-of-age tale.
In Phen’s YA novel, a Mexican teenager discovers the value of devotion through an indelible bond with a loyal and resilient dog.
In 1974, 14-year-old Ernesto lives in a modest home near Tijuana, Mexico, with his mother, father, and sister. His father works in construction and worries about having enough money to support the family. Ernesto earns extra money doing odd jobs after school, but his passion is art— despite his father’s disapproval. His favorite place to draw is the beach, where he sketches the people and places that make his community come to life. While drawing on the beach one afternoon, he sees five dogs attack a sixth, apparently a stray. He rescues the dog, whom he names Oro, and cares for him with the help of Raúl, a compassionate and ambitious young man who plans to work in America. As Ernesto’s bond with Oro deepens, the dog becomes a fixture in the community, known for his loyalty to Ernesto and his kindness to very young children. After a tragic fire ravages his community, Ernesto resolves to earn more money to help his family rebuild their home and embarks on a risky journey to California to find Raúl and see if he can help him get a job. The author’s YA debut is a sensitively observed story of dedication and resilience with an unforgettable bond between a teenager and his dog at its emotional center. Ernesto is an amiable protagonist who’s eager to help support his impoverished family (even though his parents prefer him to focus on his studies). Phen’s writing style is clear and sturdy, with poignant poetic flourishes that highlight Ernesto’s love for Oro (“How can I show you the eyes of my friend which were windows to his heart?”). While Ernesto’s journey is often harrowing, the author keeps a strong focus on his optimism and the valuable life lessons he has learned from his relationship with Oro.
A satisfying and emotionally resonant coming-of-age tale.Pub Date: July 1, 2025
ISBN: 9798991223010
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
Disappointing.
Unlikely friends fight their growing feelings for each other while placing bets on other people’s love lives.
Bailey met Charlie while flying from Alaska, where she grew up, to Nebraska, where she and her mom would be living after her parents’ divorce. Although they briefly bonded over their parents’ divorces, Charlie’s cynicism grated on the rule-following Bailey, and she was thankful to part ways with him. Three years later, to Bailey’s dismay, she runs into Charlie when they both land jobs at Planet Funnn, a mega-hotel that’s “like a giant landlocked cruise ship.” This time around, Bailey and Charlie begin to get along better. To entertain themselves during their long shifts, they observe and make bets about the hotel guests. But they risk taking it too far when they bet on whether their co-worker Theo will end up with Nekesa, Bailey’s best friend, who’s in “a perfect relationship with the perfect guy.” The book explores Bailey’s conflicted feelings toward her mom’s new relationship with Scott (who doesn’t “do anything wrong” but whose presence changes “the vibe” at home), but it does so in a way that diminishes a primary source of conflict. Bailey's and Charlie’s feelings become even more complicated when Charlie helps Bailey with a fake-dating scheme intended to scare Scott off. Some of the banter between the leads, who are coded white, feels more aggressive than playful, detracting from their intimacy, and the circuitous plot may fail to sustain readers’ interest.
Disappointing. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 28, 2023
ISBN: 9781665921237
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
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