A superior, sisterly road drama with a last-act surprise.
A teenage girl tries to repair her shattered relationship with her younger sister during a road trip to amusement parks across the United States in Jahn’s YA novel.
Pennsylvania sisters Elise, who narrates, and Wylla go on a marathon scavenger-hunt contest that takes them through major American amusement parks over the course of two weeks. Along the way, they gather hidden tokens based on clues provided by the sponsor. But it’s not all fun and games; the past autumn, a long-standing relationship between 17-year-old Elise, younger sister Wylla, and their childhood pal Logan came to a dramatic end due to Elise’s fateful decisive action—scandalous details of which are revealed piecemeal. Furthermore, a violent car crash the previous March left Elise with lingering anxiety. Nonetheless, as they travel with a curious crew of other contestants, the sisters tentatively try to mend their relationship—or at least Elise attempts to do so amid agonized self-searching and PTSD symptoms: “It’s hard to believe in yourself when no one else does either. Not Mom. Not Wylla....Which is probably why I always assumed that the reason I never had a boyfriend was because unlike Wylla, I was simply unlovable.” The Logan incident and the sisters’ sibling rivalry and dysfunctional upbringing are hashed out, but Elise feels Wylla is holding back something vitally important. Although the plot involves a lot of theme-park attractions, this is a probing and self-reflective psychological tale, and not a narrative roller coaster. Still, there are plenty of real coasters among the speed tours of Dollywood, Cedar Point, Kings Island, Busch Gardens, and so on. To Jahn’s credit, none of this feels like travelogue, though a sidebar on Tennessee’s engaging, interactive Titanic museum certainly sells the place. Near the end, the author presents a whip-snap plot twist, cannily forcing the reader to rethink and reinterpret all that has gone before. As a result, quite a few readers won’t mind getting on the ride a second time.
A superior, sisterly road drama with a last-act surprise.Pub Date: June 27, 2023
ISBN: 9780991071395
Page Count: 326
Publisher: BermLord
Review Posted Online: April 25, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2023
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 sweet if muddled tale of the magic of Appalachia.
A teenage witch goes up against the evil king of the mountain to save a cursed village.
Witch-in-training Verity Vox has spent a year apiece in different villages, helping in any way she can as she learns her art. When it’s time to move on, she receives a sign that shows her where to go next. When the latest sign appears in the form of a note begging for help that floats down on a leaf, she’s eager for the challenge. Verity winds up in Foxfire, a village in the Appalachian mountains that’s been magically cut off from the rest of the world for years, leaving its people close to starvation. The root of their suffering is a man they know as Earl, who lives in the hills and strikes deals with the townspeople that ultimately cause crops to wither, folks to disappear, and the only bridge out of the valley to crumble. Verity is determined to change the villagers’ fortunes, but to do so she’ll have to face off against not just Earl but the ancient power of the mountains itself. Loosely based on the Germanic Erlking legend and told in a voice reminiscent of folktales, the story features a queer romance and a cast that presents white. The convoluted magic system undercuts the strong themes of reciprocity, poverty, and privilege, but Appalachian readers will instantly recognize home.
A sweet if muddled tale of the magic of Appalachia. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Aug. 5, 2025
ISBN: 9798890032706
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Page Street
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
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