A high-sky winner all the way from coast to coast.
A laugh-out-loud thriller about family court, money laundering and skyjacking.
Nobody can navigate an airport like April Mae Manning. Her deceased father was a pilot, her mother is a flight attendant, and her “lying, greedy, odious sociopath” of a stepfather is a pilot. With her mother in Atlanta and her stepfather in LA, MacGyver-loving April has logged some serious miles as an unaccompanied minor. Thanks to her insider knowledge, she can read a flight manifest and negotiate TSA lines like no ordinary civilian. This savvy stands her in good stead when she finds herself with best friend and fellow unaccompanied minor Malcolm, his emotional-support dog, a kindhearted cop escorting a crook and the crustiest flight attendant in history on an L-1011 with a bomb in its hold and a crew infiltrated with hijackers on board. The narrative takes the form of April’s report to the FBI and the National Transportation Safety Board following the incident, and it’s laced with April’s trenchant commentary on the vagaries of family court and the inequities of the conditions of airline employment. Former flight attendant Gillespie’s insider knowledge infuses April’s account with confident authority. Her impeccable comic timing and command of April’s oh-so-15-year-old voice carry the plot through several unlikely but carefully laid-out contortions that will leave readers (and some of April’s friends) in stitches.
A high-sky winner all the way from coast to coast. (Thriller. 12-16)Pub Date: Jan. 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4405-6773-5
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Merit Press
Review Posted Online: Nov. 26, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
An eerie thriller reminiscent of summer horror movies that will keep readers on edge.
Two teens with a dark secret return to their old summer camp.
Childhood friends Esme and Kayla can’t wait to return to Camp Pine Lake as counselors-in-training, ready to try everything they couldn’t do when they were younger: find cute boys, stay up late, and sneak out after hours. Even Andy, their straight-laced supervisor, can’t dampen their excitement, especially after they meet the crushworthy Olly and Jake. An intuitive 17-year-old, Esme is ready to jump in and teach her cute little campers. But when a threatening message appears, Esme and Kayla realize the secret they’ve kept hidden for nearly a decade is no longer safe. Paranoia and fear soon cause Esme and Kayla to revisit their ominous secret and realize that nobody in the camp can be trusted. The slow buildup of suspense and the use of classic horror elements contrast with lighthearted camp activities, bonding with new friends, and budding romance. Similarly, Esme’s first-person point of view allows for increased tension and action as well as offering insight into her emotional and mental well-being. Discussions of adulthood, trauma, and recovery are subtle and realistic, but acts of sexism and machismo aren’t fully analyzed. While the strong buildup of action comes late, it leads to a shockingly satisfying finale. Major characters are White.
An eerie thriller reminiscent of summer horror movies that will keep readers on edge. (Thriller. 12-16)Pub Date: March 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12497-0
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Dec. 9, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2021
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
BOOK REVIEW
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