An often engaging story of two teens’ emotional highs and lows.
A teenage surfer encounters a new boy who upends her life in Rizik’s YA novel.
Sixteen-year-old Kendra Dimes’ brother, Kyle, overdosed when she was 7; at the time, he was training to compete in the USA Surfing Prime West competition. Now, Kendra decides to compete in the same event in honor of her sibling. As a result, she doesn’t have much of social life; she sticks to school and surfing, and practices meditation to manage her anxiety. Meanwhile, Brock Parker, the new kid at school, sells drugs, likes to party, and dreams of buying an island with his best friend, Duke Larson.Kendra and Brock’s paths cross, and their initial friendship transforms into a consuming relationship that affects both of their lives, for better and for worse. At its core, this is a coming-of-age story, as Rizik familiarizes readers with the obstacles that Kendra and Brock have faced in their lives; Brock, for instance, had to give up playing music, which was his passion, to continue his parents’ shady business,and both he and Kendra were forced to move away from their hometowns. Along the way, readers get a clear view of how their decisions have affected their lives and forced them to mature. Brock and Kendra have a tendency to refer to themselves in demeaning ways (Kendra calls herself an “awkward loser”; Brock calls himself a “pussy”), and it’s a device that gets repetitive; however, it also serves as an effective reminder that they’re just teenagers trying to figure things out, and it adds to their character development. The overall plot is fairly predictable, in that one won’t be surprised when something bad eventually happens that tests the main characters’ bond. However, the twisty tale is entertaining enough at readers won’t mind such familiar beats.
An often engaging story of two teens’ emotional highs and lows.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 978-1-68463-087-5
Page Count: -
Publisher: SparkPress
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.
In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me, three characters tell their sides of the story.
Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind. (author’s note, content warning) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781728276229
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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