by Fiona Wood ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 11, 2015
This romance is effervescent and sweet, but it offers welcome substance along with the sparkle.
A young teen seeks platonic, familial, and romantic connections.
Dan’s life has gone from socially poor but financially privileged to cliché-level terrible now that his father has lost the family fortune, come out, and left his mother. Having moved into a grand but drafty and smelly historic house left them by his mother’s great-aunt Adelaide, Dan’s dread of starting at a new school halfway through the year is both mitigated and sharpened by his crush on his gorgeous next-door neighbor, Estelle. When Dan discovers that Estelle maintains a secret aerie in their shared attic space, he’s unable to resist the temptation to read the diaries she keeps there, but his guilt over this violation builds as he and Estelle slowly establish a flirty friendship. Aussie Wood makes Dan struggle realistically to overcome his problems: he and his mother clash over their money woes and his refusal to speak to his father; his job options are limited due to his youth; and he’s so afraid of saying the wrong thing at school that he clams up and occasionally faints. Over time, he matures and takes risks, reaping both the rewards and consequences of his choices. The excitement culminates in the time-honored way—at a school dance—setting up a finale readers will gobble up.
This romance is effervescent and sweet, but it offers welcome substance along with the sparkle. (Fiction. 12-16)Pub Date: Aug. 11, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-316-24216-5
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Poppy/Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: June 5, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2015
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by Ben Philippe ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 8, 2019
Despite some missteps, this will appeal to readers who enjoy a fresh and realistic teen voice.
A teenage, not-so-lonely loner endures the wilds of high school in Austin, Texas.
Norris Kaplan, the protagonist of Philippe’s debut novel, is a hypersweaty, uber-snarky black, Haitian, French-Canadian pushing to survive life in his new school. His professor mom’s new tenure-track job transplants Norris mid–school year, and his biting wit and sarcasm are exposed through his cataloging of his new world in a field guide–style burn book. He’s greeted in his new life by an assortment of acquaintances, Liam, who is white and struggling with depression; Maddie, a self-sacrificing white cheerleader with a heart of gold; and Aarti, his Indian-American love interest who offers connection. Norris’ ego, fueled by his insecurities, often gets in the way of meaningful character development. The scenes showcasing his emotional growth are too brief and, despite foreshadowing, the climax falls flat because he still gets incredible personal access to people he’s hurt. A scene where Norris is confronted by his mother for getting drunk and belligerent with a white cop is diluted by his refusal or inability to grasp the severity of the situation and the resultant minor consequences. The humor is spot-on, as is the representation of the black diaspora; the opportunity for broader conversations about other topics is there, however, the uneven buildup of detailed, meaningful exchanges and the glibness of Norris’ voice detract.
Despite some missteps, this will appeal to readers who enjoy a fresh and realistic teen voice. (Fiction. 13-16)Pub Date: Jan. 8, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-06-282411-0
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Oct. 14, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2018
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by Alice Oseman ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 28, 2017
A smart, timely outing.
Two teens connect through a mysterious podcast in this sophomore effort by British author Oseman (Solitaire, 2015).
Frances Janvier is a 17-year-old British-Ethiopian head girl who is so driven to get into Cambridge that she mostly forgoes friendships for schoolwork. Her only self-indulgence is listening to and creating fan art for the podcast Universe City, “a…show about a suit-wearing student detective looking for a way to escape a sci-fi, monster-infested university.” Aled Last is a quiet white boy who identifies as “partly asexual.” When Frances discovers that Aled is the secret creator of Universe City, the two embark on a passionate, platonic relationship based on their joint love of pop culture. Their bond is complicated by Aled’s controlling mother and by Frances’ previous crush on Aled’s twin sister, Carys, who ran away last year and disappeared. When Aled’s identity is accidently leaked to the Universe City fandom, he severs his relationship with Frances, leaving her questioning her Cambridge goals and determined to win back his affection, no matter what the cost. Frances’ narration is keenly intelligent; she takes mordant pleasure in using an Indian friend’s ID to get into a club despite the fact they look nothing alike: “Gotta love white people.” Though the social-media–suffused plot occasionally lags, the main characters’ realistic relationship accurately depicts current issues of gender, race, and class.
A smart, timely outing. (Fiction. 12-16)Pub Date: March 28, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-06-233571-5
Page Count: 496
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: Jan. 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2017
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by Alice Oseman ; illustrated by Alice Oseman
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