A lovely coming-of-age story that explores family, fame, and self with a sweet and spicy romance as the cherry on top.
A reluctant teen star struggles to defy her mother’s expectations and forge her own path outside the spotlight.
Kiara “Kia” Greer isn’t as beautiful, interesting, or talented as her more famous older sisters—or so the tabloids, and even her mother, who manages her career, seem to suggest. Enter Cassius Campbell, a teen idol, heartthrob, and hitmaker who takes an interest in her. Cass and Kia instantly spark, and together they inspire headlines that fan the flames of Growin’ Up, her family’s long-running reality TV show. Yet despite her momager’s prodding her to focus on her budding celebrity and stay close to home rather than attend college, Kia considers leaving Hollywood and discovering who she really is. Her deepening trust in and love for Cass inspire her to be true to herself and not simply embody the version she plays on camera. The book also explores colorism; Kia and her sisters have a Black dad and white mom. Cass, who’s Black and pansexual, is exploring his gender identity. The relationships debut author Bennett develops feel lived in, imbued with both levity and moments of gravitas. Kia is an unconventional protagonist with an unusual background whose challenges with family, first love, and growing up will resonate with readers who are grappling with similar experiences.
A lovely coming-of-age story that explores family, fame, and self with a sweet and spicy romance as the cherry on top. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: May 13, 2025
ISBN: 9780593806104
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: April 19, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2025
BOOK TO SCREEN
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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