An insightful, original take on the coming-of-age story, this novel plumbs the depths of American culture to arrive at a...
A bright, prickly teenager struggles to find her place while spending a summer exploring the contradictions of Hollywood, replete with beautiful actors, has-been pop stars, and the specter of the Manson girls.
Umminger's debut novel follows 15-year-old Anna, a smart, cynical white girl who escapes a complicated home situation by "borrowing" her stepmother's credit card to run away to Los Angeles. There, she reunites with her actress sister for the summer and is recruited by her sister's dubious director (and ex-boyfriend) to research the Manson girls for his film project. The more time Anna spends tagging along on TV and film sets, the more she begins to notice the surprising ways in which the subtle yet pervasive emotional violence in her own life and the lives of those around her mirror the personal histories of the Manson girls, who were, after all, once "regular" girls. Setting her tale against the glittery, gritty backdrop of modern-day Los Angeles, the author deftly weaves together multiple story strands to create a razor-sharp commentary on our culture, observed with keen wit from the perspective of one honest and complex American girl.
An insightful, original take on the coming-of-age story, this novel plumbs the depths of American culture to arrive at a poignant emotional truth. (author's note) (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: June 7, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-250-07500-0
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: March 29, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2016
Entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable.
A Seattle teen fake dates his way into saving a family business.
Seventeen-year-old River Langston-Lee opens by informing readers that he’s sure he’s about to embark on the “Worst Day of My Life So Far”…but as he later ruefully reflects, it in fact turns out to be the “Worst Day of My Life Ever.” After suddenly dumping his girlfriend, Cecelia, the night before, he walks out of his SATs and heads to his part-time job at Cafe Gong, his family’s coffee shop “turned corporate caffeine hell.” Making things even more awkward, he and Cecelia are co-managers at the newest location, where most of River’s co-workers already hate him (it’s mutual). The day becomes even more disastrous when River pours a bag of coffee beans down the shirt of a rude customer, a green-haired goth girl, then impulsively quits. His best friend helps him find a new job at Bingsu for Two, a struggling Korean cafe where he meets a new co-worker, owner’s daughter Sarang Cho, aka Coffee Bean Girl. After River accidentally catapults Bingsu for Two into viral video fame, he and Sarang realize that fake dating for social media could save her family’s business—if they don’t strangle each other first. Unsurprisingly, River’s family and Cecelia aren’t happy about these developments. The strong narrative voice and amusing banter shine in this deeply heartwarming, laugh-out-loud rom-com that’s equal parts coming-of-age story. River is Korean American and white; Sarang is Korean American.
Entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Jan. 14, 2025
ISBN: 9781454954026
Page Count: 360
Publisher: Union Square & Co.
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2024
With complex worldbuilding and character development, readers tired of cookie-cutter stories will find some surprise twists...
Her father, the king, taught her to believe in the people, the courts, truth, and the new era.
As Hesina begins to seek justice for his death, she finds hard truths and becomes entangled in lies, some of her own making. In her debut, He creates an Asian-inspired fantasy where centuries ago, the last of the relic emperors, who pursued selfishness over the welfare of the people, was overthrown by the Eleven, a group of outlaw heroes who authored the Tenets, a book that the rulers of Yan have since lived by. In building this new era, they also perpetuated the systematic slaughter of the emperor’s henchmen, the sooths, and anyone else with the power to see the future—those whose blood burns blue. At 17, Hesina needs to be the ruler her father groomed her to be while navigating the land mines of court politics, internal power plays, and personal betrayal. The plot twists are truly dizzying at times, and everyone, from villain to ally, has an intriguing backstory. Learning forgiveness and the need to sympathize with the things people do to survive, Hesina evolves, sometimes painfully, from a naïve, reckless girl to a compassionate queen. All characters may be assumed Asian, and the author makes an effort to incorporate Chinese terms and writing conventions throughout.
With complex worldbuilding and character development, readers tired of cookie-cutter stories will find some surprise twists here. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: April 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-8075-1551-8
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: Feb. 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2019
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