An ode to the courage it takes to live with authenticity.
A closeted Muslim Pakistani Canadian teenager yearns for acceptance and belonging.
Ramin has been raised to believe that homosexuality is sinful, making self-acceptance difficult. His struggle intensifies when he learns he’s missing the 50 hours of PE that he needs to graduate. The only practical option is playing soccer—there’s a spot open since team member Ahmed Qureshi was recently removed. But non-sporty Ramin is apprehensive about proximity to his crush, Fahad Ali Khan (aka “Captain Handsome”). Worse, bully Assim, who’s seeking retribution for his brother, Ahmed, has discovered Ramin is gay and threatens to out him unless he throws the semifinal. Debut author Saber handles these conflicts sensitively, drawing readers into the complicated experience of being both Muslim and gay, offering visibility to teens who share these identities, and expanding conversations about how queer individuals often turn to religion for solace even when family and faith-based communities reject them. Through the supporting cast members, Saber highlights the healing power of love, friendship, sibling bonds, and trusted adults in a queer teenager’s life. He emphasizes how inclusive interpretations of scripture can create room for queer-affirming religious life and compellingly explores the guilt associated with emigration and the stigma around seeking professional mental health support in many South Asian and Muslim families. These heavier elements are beautifully contrasted with Ramin’s humorous voice and his ability to soothe himself through the joy he finds in origami and Broadway musicals.
An ode to the courage it takes to live with authenticity. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: March 3, 2026
ISBN: 9781665960694
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Caitlyn Dlouhy/Atheneum
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2026
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
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
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
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
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