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SLIDE

An intriguing whodunit.

Pink-haired, rebellious Vee isn’t really narcoleptic, as everyone believes; when she suddenly falls asleep, she “slides” into other people and sees through their eyes in this intriguing mystery.

Vee’s unwanted paranormal ability becomes a serious problem when she witnesses a murder, but she doesn’t know through whose eyes she’s seeing. She does know that no one will believe her if she tries to explain, especially not her physician father. The police and everyone else believe the murder victim committed suicide. When yet another apparent suicide occurs, Vee begins to suspect two people she trusts, her best friend, Rollins, and her cool psychology teacher. Could either be the murderer? Rollins appears to back away from her when Vee falls for handsome newcomer Zane in the well-crafted romance subplot, and she worries that the teacher might be too close to his female students. High-school rivalries complicate the issue. Although the paranormal aspects of this book pale before its unfolding mystery and human drama, the mystery plot turns on Vee’s sliding ability. Alas, the solution seems to pop out of nowhere, but the back story to the mystery adds real depth. Hathaway guides readers through family turmoil, integrating it well with her murder mystery. She makes Vee’s unwanted ability seem quite real, but it is the history of family betrayal that finally takes center stage in this above-average mystery.

An intriguing whodunit. (Paranormal mystery. 12 & up)

Pub Date: March 27, 2012

ISBN: 978-0-06-207790-5

Page Count: 256

Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Jan. 17, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2012

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INDIVISIBLE

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

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IF HE HAD BEEN WITH ME

There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.

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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

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