This book is lit!
Back to the Games—and some really beautiful art.
Following the release of The Hunger Games: Illustrated Edition (2024), this new edition of the second series entry (originally released in 2009) once again pairs Delort’s impressive scratchboard artwork with Collins’ enduringly popular text to create a work that will be treasured by old and new fans alike. In this installment, Hunger Games victors Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark return to their economically depressed district of Panem, a country run by the elderly totalitarian dictator President Snow. The teens’ enjoyment of their time as victors is cut short when they’re unexpectedly recruited to again participate in the cutthroat annual competition, all while maintaining a fictitious version of their relationship to win support from viewers. While the storyline may be familiar to many, the illustrations in this new edition enhance the plot. Delort makes use of interesting angles and perspectives to create tension: A portrait of President Snow is cropped to emphasize his mouth and hands; Peeta’s on-air proposal to Katniss is depicted from a distance, highlighting the cameras capturing every moment; and the introduction of Finnick Odair, standing beside his horse, emphasizes his physical prowess and beauty. Those familiar with the movie will appreciate this new visual interpretation, and those who love the books will marvel at the artistic additions to the story.
This book is lit! (Dystopian. 12-18)Pub Date: Oct. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9781546159544
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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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