A somewhat overwrought tale that skillfully represents its heroine.
A Nevada teenager learns more about herself and her mother when she begins confronting the secrets in her life in this YA novel.
Talon Alvarado’s mother, Lisa, had her when she was 16. Talon doesn’t know her father’s identity; Lisa refuses to talk about him or her past. When the teen gets an email from “Aunt T.” offering to answer any questions she has, Talon is at first suspicious. But Aunt T. gives proof of her relationship, and Talon at last begins learning more, such as the brutal beatings her grandfather inflicted on her grandmother. Talon opens up, telling Aunt T. that she has three ambitions: win an essay contest for a summer writing program; get a college degree that will allow her to help neglected kids; and end up nothing like her mother. Meanwhile, Talon’s desire for warmth and closeness makes her vulnerable to a bad crowd and a jerk boyfriend, putting her in danger of sabotaging her future. Talon is also increasingly worried about young Gabby, her duplex neighbor, who’s suffering neglect—and perhaps worse. A few good friendships help keep Talon centered, but several events bring explosive emotions forward: Lisa’s ex-boyfriend Gary, who sexually abused Talon, appears on the scene; Gabby is threatened; and Lisa has a health crisis. Talon is led to re-examine her understanding of family, forgiveness, and hope. Clark (Mirage, 2017, etc.) evokes a damaged teenage girl’s viewpoint with sensitivity, providing many poignant, illustrative scenarios. For example, Talon used to visit a Realtor’s model home and trail behind a visiting family for hours, “pretending she lived there with her real family” until getting caught. At times, the heartstring-tugging can feel manipulative. In an essay about putting herself to bed as a child, for example, Talon writes: “Laugh if you want, but I even kissed myself on the back of my hand before I sank into sleep with a kiss on my lips and a lullaby in my ears.” It’s also unlikely that the real Aunt T., who lacks education and isn’t a reader, would write with the facility shown in her emails.
A somewhat overwrought tale that skillfully represents its heroine.Pub Date: Jan. 4, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-5423-7152-0
Page Count: 300
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Jan. 4, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.
A fifth-grade New Orleans girl discovers a mysterious chrysalis containing an unexpected creature in this middle-grade novel.
Jacquelyn Marie Johnson, called Jackie, is a 10-year-old African-American girl, the second oldest and the only girl of six siblings. She’s responsible, smart, and enjoys being in charge; she likes “paper dolls and long division and imagining things she had never seen.” Normally, Jackie has no trouble obeying her strict but loving parents. But when her potted snapdragon acquires a peculiar egg or maybe a chrysalis (she dubs it a chrysalegg), Jackie’s strong desire to protect it runs up against her mother’s rule against plants in the house. Jackie doesn’t exactly mean to lie, but she tells her mother she needs to keep the snapdragon in her room for a science project and gets permission. Jackie draws the chrysalegg daily, waiting for something to happen as it gets larger. When the amazing creature inside breaks free, Jackie is more determined than ever to protect it, but this leads her further into secrets and lies. The results when her parents find out are painful, and resolving the problem will take courage, honesty, and trust. Dumas (Jaden Toussaint, the Greatest: Episode 5, 2017, etc.) presents a very likable character in Jackie. At 10, she’s young enough to enjoy playing with paper dolls but has a maturity that even older kids can lack. She’s resourceful, as when she wants to measure a red spot on the chrysalegg; lacking calipers, she fashions one from her hairpin. Jackie’s inward struggle about what to obey—her dearest wishes or the parents she loves—is one many readers will understand. The book complicates this question by making Jackie’s parents, especially her mother, strict (as one might expect to keep order in a large family) but undeniably loving and protective as well—it’s not just a question of outwitting clueless adults. Jackie’s feelings about the creature (tender and responsible but also more than a little obsessive) are similarly shaded rather than black-and-white. The ending suggests that an intriguing sequel is to come.
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943169-32-0
Page Count: 212
Publisher: Plum Street Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.
In the ninth book in the Bluford young-adult series, a young Latino man walks away from violence—but at great personal cost.
In a large Southern California city, 16-year-old Martin Luna hangs out on the fringes of gang life. He’s disaffected, fatherless and increasingly drawn into the orbit of the older, rougher Frankie. When a stray bullet kills Martin’s adored 8-year-old brother, Huero, Martin seems to be heading into a life of crime. But Martin’s mother, determined not to lose another son, moves him to another neighborhood—the fictional town of Bluford, where he attends the racially diverse Bluford High. At his new school, the still-grieving Martin quickly makes enemies and gets into trouble. But he also makes friends with a kind English teacher and catches the eye of Vicky, a smart, pretty and outgoing Bluford student. Martin’s first-person narration supplies much of the book’s power. His dialogue is plain, but realistic and believable, and the authors wisely avoid the temptation to lard his speech with dated and potentially embarrassing slang. The author draws a vivid and affecting picture of Martin’s pain and confusion, bringing a tight-lipped teenager to life. In fact, Martin’s character is so well drawn that when he realizes the truth about his friend Frankie, readers won’t feel as if they are watching an after-school special, but as though they are observing the natural progression of Martin’s personal growth. This short novel appears to be aimed at urban teens who don’t often see their neighborhoods portrayed in young-adult fiction, but its sophisticated characters and affecting story will likely have much wider appeal.
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2004
ISBN: 978-1591940173
Page Count: 152
Publisher: Townsend Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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