For reluctant readers looking for a quick, light, romantic read.
A teen must take a step back to recognize that the boy he should be chasing is right beside him.
Charlie is an extroverted, gay teen with ambition to spare but no love life to speak of until Andre, new to Vancouver from Montréal, walks into an outNproud meeting that Charlie attends religiously. Recently asked to serve on the planning committee for outNproud’s queer prom, Charlie is determined to make Andre his date but must contend with pretty boy Chad, his rival at outNproud, for his attention. After talking with best friend Geeda, Charlie comes to the conclusion that he needs a wingman. Enter quiet, closeted Luis, who, after watching Charlie try to impress Andre with the perfect prom song, creates an algorithm that analyzes clichéd plot points of popular teenage romantic comedies in hopes of helping Charlie get the boy. Despite the uphill battle, Charlie is resolute in his desire—but is he overlooking someone else? Charlie comes across as a high-strung teen looking for validation, which readers may come to find endearing. This straightforward, first-person narration clearly demonstrates the honest, frustrating feelings of navigating first crushes as a queer teen. Short chapters and light detail make this an accessible read. Charlie and Chad are white, Andre is black, Luis is Mexican, and Geeda is Asian.
For reluctant readers looking for a quick, light, romantic read. (Romance. 12-18)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4594-1407-5
Page Count: 176
Publisher: James Lorimer
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2020
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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