Quiet yet thought-provoking.
A teen grapples with both her own identity and the role identity played in her sister’s death in this French import.
It’s been one year since Muslim Sohane’s younger sister, Djelila, was burned alive by religious extremists in their apartment building in the projects. She recounts the incidents leading up to Djelila’s death, using present tense to place readers directly in the scenes and past tense as she recalls what happened from her current state of grief. Sohane and Djelila remain fierce allies, but Sohane questioningly (and sometimes jealously) notices that her sister has started to break away from their family’s Muslim traditions by sporting tight clothes and drinking alcohol. She, on the other hand, explores her religious and feminist beliefs (“Is it possible to be a woman and Muslim at the same time?”) by wearing the hijab. Both sisters’ actions are noticed immediately. Djelila becomes a source of contempt by a Taliban-like gang, while Sohane is expelled from high school for wearing a headscarf thanks to a French law that requires strict separation of church and state. The story, based on actual events, never becomes a question of whether Sohane should wear her headscarf but ruminates on how young people cope with being siblings, second-generation immigrants, feminists and believers. Rather than overwhelming the narration, these themes twine together powerfully.
Quiet yet thought-provoking. (glossary, author’s note) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Aug. 5, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-385-74376-1
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2014
A beautiful and entertaining blend of family, romance, and self-discovery.
Rika sets out to find the truth about her mother.
Rika Rakuyama has never felt like she wholly belonged anywhere. Being half Japanese and half White, Rika doesn’t feel completely accepted in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo, where tradition is everything. Her mother’s sister took her in when her teenage mom died, and now Rika lives with Auntie Suzy and her wife, Auntie Och. Rika is not #TeamPrincess like her cousins; she feels full of rage like a nure-onna or mythological Japanese snake-woman...until she meets popular rom-com actress Grace Kimura in a bizarre encounter and becomes convinced that Grace is actually her long-lost mother. With the help of cute Chinese Filipino rising star Hank Chen, Rika sets off on a whirlwind adventure through Los Angeles, hoping to learn more about her mother; the book highlights the magic of various locations around the city. As she and Hank spend more time together and unravel the truth, Rika gets drawn into the life she could have, but she struggles to open up fully to her own happy ending. Rika and other characters struggle with who they are because people gossip about and comment on their race, sexuality (Rika’s cousin Belle is pansexual), and mental health and judge them according to ethnic stereotypes. Written like a modern fairy tale, this is a thoughtful exploration of finding one’s full identity and sense of place and community.
A beautiful and entertaining blend of family, romance, and self-discovery. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 11, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-32748-7
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: March 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2021
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
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