An unusually raw, frank bildungsroman.
Tragedy, emotional conflicts, and uncertain prospects dog a teenager on the cusp of independence.
Birdseye constructs this outdoorsy outing around multiple metaphors, most notably that of a jigsaw puzzle, pieces of which fall down around 17-year-old Ren at a rate that threatens to bury him. Fleeing from his widowed, obnoxiously born-again mom to take refuge in the Cascade Range in Oregon with beloved big brother Levi doesn’t provide the security he hoped for. First, Levi dies tragically in an avalanche. Then Levi’s traumatized girlfriend, Ellie, disappears, leaving behind an alarming note after sliding into Ren’s bed for a night of ecstatic comfort. And just for a kicker, amid the resulting turmoil, the devastated teen manages to lose both of his part-time jobs. The title aptly conveys Ren’s gnawing fear and confusion, which readers will feel keenly as he frantically chases after Ellie while undertaking the understandably painful process of fitting the various parts of his life together into a recognizable self-image and a tentative personal road map. Some seemingly fragmentary pieces come together to help resolve unanswered questions, especially after a dramatic climax leads to sudden revelations and clarity. Better yet, at the end, the author leaves Ren credibly on his feet and moving forward. Main characters are cued white.
An unusually raw, frank bildungsroman. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781773069548
Page Count: 280
Publisher: Groundwood
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
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
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
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