Kirkus Star
THE KIRKUS STAR
Awarded to Books of Exceptional Merit

BROWSE BOOK REVIEWS




2010 Best Books for Teens: Contemporary Novels


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Cover art for SWEET, HEREAFTER
CHILDREN'S
Released: Jan. 5, 2010

Sweet never really fit in at home or at school, but she has satisfying friends and connections. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE DARK DAYS OF HAMBURGER HALPIN
CHILDREN'S
Released: Feb. 9, 2010

"Only a clichéd fatness explanation (overeating) and the implausibility of such highly successful lip reading distract; but the funny, clever voice and the small but spot-on thread of deaf politics make this a winner. (Fiction. 12-16)"
This witty tale of mainstreaming, misfits and murder glitters like the "Future Diamonds" that coal-mine souvenirs promise to someday become. Read full book review >
Cover art for WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON
CHILDREN'S
Released: April 1, 2010

"Their story, along with the rest of the cast's, will have readers simultaneously laughing, crying and singing at the top of their lungs. (Fiction. YA)"
Will Grayson loves indie rock, plays the eye-rolling angry stepchild to his extraordinarily giant, lovable, gay best friend Tiny Cooper and doesn't realize that he yearns for his other indie-rock–loving friend Jane until it's too late. will grayson (he never uses uppercase) hates most everything except sharing an XXL coffee with his best friend Maura each morning and covertly conversing with his Internet boyfriend every night. Read full book review >
Cover art for AS EASY AS FALLING OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH
CHILDREN'S
Released: May 1, 2010

"A long, immensely enjoyable, curiously comforting ramble through an absurd-but-benign world, tellingly filed by the Library of Congress under "Adventure and adventurers—Fiction," "Accidents—Fiction" and "Luck—Fiction." (Fiction. 12 & up)"
It's easy to fall off the face of the Earth, as the affable 15-year-old Ry discovers when he misses his camp-bound train somewhere in Montana. Read full book review >
Cover art for ILLYRIA
CHILDREN'S
Released: May 13, 2010

"This intense, sensual and bittersweet love story unfolds in hauntingly lyrical prose and should appeal to mature teens. (Historical fiction. 14 & up)"
Growing up in a large, eccentric, extended family in Yonkers in the late 1960s, two first cousins exist in their own private world. Read full book review >
Cover art for HUSH
CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 1, 2010

"No Chillul Hashem here, but gemilut hasadim and tikun olam: serving the dead in lovingkindness, repairing the world. (Fiction. YA)"
Seventeen-year-old Gittel is preparing for marriage, and she hopes the shadchen, the matchmaker, picks a good husband. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE 10 P.M. QUESTION
CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 1, 2010

"Gorgeously written, this bittersweet chronicle of family complexities is wise but never pat—a masterful meditation on anxiety and courage that will be savored by thoughtful readers. (Fiction. 12 & up)"
A talented artist and observer of birds, 12-year-old New Zealander Frankie has always been friends with his pal Gigs. Read full book review >
Cover art for NOT THAT KIND OF GIRL
CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 1, 2010

"It's rare to see second- and third-wave feminism square off in YA literature so successfully; don't miss this round. (Fiction. 14 & up)"
Another powerful, involving exploration of teen girls' identities and relationships from the ever-improving Vivian (A Little Friendly Advice, 2008, Same Difference, 2009). Read full book review >
Cover art for DARK WATER
CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 14, 2010

"Notable for well-drawn characters, an engaging plot and, especially, hauntingly beautiful language, this is an outstanding book. (Fiction. 12 & up)"
This debut solo effort after several collaborations with husband Tom McNeal (The Decoding of Lana Morris, 2007, etc.) stands out in the crowded coming-of-age field. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE THINGS A BROTHER KNOWS
CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 14, 2010

"Powerful. (Fiction. 12 & up)"
Levi's older brother Boaz enlisted in the Marines after graduating from high school rather than attend an elite university as expected. Read full book review >
Cover art for PLEASE IGNORE VERA DIETZ
CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 12, 2010

"The author depicts the journey to overcome a legacy of poverty, violence, addiction and ignorance as an arduous one, but Vera's path glimmers with grace and hope. (Fiction. 14 & up)"
A harrowing but ultimately redemptive tale of adolescent angst gone awry. Read full book review >
Cover art for BLANK CONFESSION
CHILDREN'S
Released: Nov. 16, 2010

"A sure hit with teen readers. (Fiction. 12 & up)"
A stranger rides into town on a battered old BMW motorcycle and with mad ninja skills stands up to the drug-dealing bullies in the high school, then walks into the police station and confesses to murder. Read full book review >