A poignant, heartbreaking tale that will keep reluctant readers riveted.
A pregnant teen undergoes a harrowing journey in a county juvenile shelter in this accessibly written, drama-filled novel.
High school senior Ashley Muller has moved with her divorced mother to a small town several hours away from Milwaukee. Her mom, who became pregnant with Ashley at 16, didn’t go to college, but she hopes that Ashley will stay focused and get a degree. After Ashley discovers she’s pregnant with ex-boyfriend Danny Morales’ child, she decides she’ll keep the baby. Her mom (who was pressured by her own religious parents to give Ashley up for adoption) is concerned for Ashley’s future and at first suggests an abortion. After their landlord evicts them, Ashley stays with Madi Wendt, a wealthy friend who offers her Xanax for a panic attack. When Ashley takes it again to help her sleep, she seeks mental health support from a doctor, who pressures her to enter an in-patient rehab center. Ashley refuses, and the police take her into custody for child neglect. Meanwhile, Danny takes his paternal responsibilities seriously, getting a job and saving for the baby. This believably told story thoughtfully examines inequities that leave a caring teen mother without support while purporting to protect her child. Ashley’s inspiration from the ballet The Firebird is woven throughout this important work about a young woman who doesn’t give up despite tremendous odds. Ashley and Madi read white; Danny is cued Latine.
A poignant, heartbreaking tale that will keep reluctant readers riveted. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781631638374
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Jolly Fish Press
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters.
When star hockey player Alec Barczewski’s estranged childhood friend, Dani Collins, moves to town, they end up in a mutually beneficial fake-dating relationship that reignites old feelings.
Following her parents’ divorce, Dani and her mom move in with Dani’s hockey legend grandfather in Southview, Minnesota, where she spent a month every summer as a child and where her friendship with Alec grew. Between visits, the two were pen pals, but they eventually fell out of touch. Despite some tensions over their loss of friendship, the high school seniors reconnect. Desperate to get off Harvard’s waitlist, Dani needs another extracurricular activity, while Alec—whose reputation took a hit when a photo of him holding a bong appeared on social media—is eager to improve his tarnished image for NHL scouts. The pair strike a deal: They’ll fake date, making Alec look like a stable guy whose academically gifted girlfriend is related to hockey royalty, and in exchange, he’ll get Dani a team manager position that will catch the eye of Harvard’s admissions officers. Eventually, complicated feelings about their past, stressful family relationships, and their brewing romance boil over. Romance fans will love the deliciously tension-filled scenes between Alec and Dani, who are believable friends with heavy demands weighing on them. They feel like real teenagers, and readers will enjoy rooting for them as the well-paced story unfolds. Main characters present white.
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2025
ISBN: 9781665921268
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
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
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