An engrossing and moving tale about a troubled teen’s relatable struggle toward a hopeful future.
In this YA novel, a 10th grader with divorced, dysfunctional parents strains to cope at home and in school.
Anger, despair, and loneliness overwhelm 15-year-old Elgin Hobbs, the narrator of this tale by a former educator and high school principal. Neither of Elgin’s divorced parents earns a lot of money, but “there’s always enough” for his mom to drink and his father to gamble. “Everything else comes last,” Elgin says. That includes the 10th grader himself. Elgin isn’t a priority for his remarried father, and every day he bears the physical and emotional burden of an alcoholic mother who is loving, but often too drunk to parent her son. The teen’s perspective on his mother’s attempts to overcome the acute alcoholism affecting her health adds another layer of serious concern. (Elgin’s observations of his mother’s repeated failure to stay sober are heart-wrenching; he views his father’s lack of involvement in his life and invariably late child support payments with sad cynicism.) The teen doesn’t see how his guidance counselor’s advice “to let the bad stuff go” and not let it “bring you down” will help. The words take on more weight when he learns that his history teacher had to let go of “bad stuff” in his own adolescent home life. Elgin is affected, too, by the autobiography of an injured Army veteran, and by a helpful study tip from a science teacher. (Thompson, whose empathy for his teen subject rings true, makes it clear that even a few words of support from responsible adults can go a long way.) In this touching and ultimately inspiring tale, Elgin’s subsequent small successes in his classes don’t improve his home situation but do boost his self-confidence. His growing determination to make school a priority, despite his unhappy home situation, and the author’s credible avoidance of an unrealistic, happily-ever-after ending demonstrate that there is real hope that the teen has the strength of purpose to work toward a future of possibility and stability. This absorbing story is part of Thompson’s Finding Forward series of 13 YA novels about teens facing difficult personal situations and discovering positive ways to cope.
An engrossing and moving tale about a troubled teen’s relatable struggle toward a hopeful future.Pub Date: May 28, 2021
ISBN: 9781737315728
Page Count: 122
Publisher: Bookstock Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 5, 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
A powerful story of family, belonging, and identity interlaced with thriller elements.
A wary teen wonders if she should run when people come looking for her.
Lucy Smith was raised by her white father, who said little about her mother. Following his death and her stepmother’s abandonment, Lucy entered the foster care system at 14. Her stepmother revealed that Lucy’s birth mom was Native American, but her social worker urged her to keep that quiet. Battered by her time in the foster care system, it’s no wonder that 18-year-old Lucy is cautious when she’s approached by a man who says he’s an attorney who helps Native American foster kids connect with their families and communities. He introduces her to a friend who reveals to Lucy that she knows her Ojibwe maternal relatives—but a wary Lucy refuses her offer to learn more. Someone is stalking her, after all, and the FBI is investigating the bomb that went off in the diner where she worked—an event she’s sure targeted her. This stand-alone from bestseller Boulley, who’s an enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, includes characters her fans will recognize from previous works. The action scenes are mediated by ruminations on the failings of the foster care system and strong portrayals of Lucy’s relationship with her father and her complicated identity. Ardent book lover Lucy is a sympathetic narrator whose strong sense of justice is coupled with a deep acceptance of others.
A powerful story of family, belonging, and identity interlaced with thriller elements. (content warning, author’s note) (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2025
ISBN: 9781250328533
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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