A realistic portrayal of a troubled upbringing weakened by some problematic messaging.
The abuse a girl experiences at home shapes her development.
In California’s San Fernando Valley in 1985, 7-year-old Carolyn endures her father’s neglect, verbal profanity, and physical abuse. She cleans, cooks, and cares for her two younger brothers. Her father has retired from the Army, and her mother works outside the home. A miserable Carolyn turns to friends who are also struggling with parental dysfunction for support in her teen years, and her trauma leads her to engage in poor coping mechanisms. The Mojave Desert setting represents the void in Carolyn’s life; its hardy flora—tumbleweeds, Joshua trees—also mirror her survival. The novel’s stark realism in its treatment of the early millennial experience provides very little hope throughout most of the novel, and the hummingbird symbolism sends muddled, mixed messaging. The content warning at the beginning accurately describes the painful themes discussed openly in dialogue. The novel, which is divided into three parts, follows Carolyn until she’s 18, and in the earlier sections, her voice often sounds much older, as when a middle school–aged Carolyn reflects on her mother’s “memorized reactions practiced through her collective generational silence.” Recognizable ’80s and ’90s references, such as hair scrunchies and a “‘popcorn’ style white ceiling,” abound, adding to the sense of place. Most central characters read white, and one is white and Mexican American.
A realistic portrayal of a troubled upbringing weakened by some problematic messaging. (author’s note, discussion questions) (Fiction. 15-adult)Pub Date: March 3, 2026
ISBN: 9781965660027
Page Count: 360
Publisher: Adamo Press
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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