A too-simple take on painful themes; savvy readers deserve more depth.
A girl and her mother seek empowerment in the wake of several kinds of gendered violence.
After a boy named Jacob sexually assaults Izzy at a party, she feels further traumatized by her inability to talk through the events with those closest to her. Her best friend, Grace, is distracted by a honeymoon period with her first girlfriend, and Izzy’s controlling, abusive stepfather, Daniel, isolates her from her struggling mother. Soon Jacob uses nude photos to blackmail Izzy, and Daniel begins crossing more and more boundaries with her. Her mother seeks help at a women’s refuge, where Izzy hopes to find respite from Jacob’s harassment and her friends’ willful misunderstanding; however, she soon learns that the past can catch up with her all too easily. A new love for rowing and a fresh love interest give Izzy hope, but the crux of the story stays in the family when Izzy has a climactic confrontation with the villainous Daniel. While Izzy’s story touches on prescient subjects, the simplistic characterization and writing style feel condescending rather than empathetic. In an unfortunately common trope, the narration blames Grace, who is black and the sole major character of color, for prioritizing herself and her queer romance over caretaking for white Izzy.
A too-simple take on painful themes; savvy readers deserve more depth. (resources) (Fiction. 15-adult)Pub Date: July 14, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-78607-864-3
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Oneworld Publications
Review Posted Online: Feb. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
A deep dive into trauma, with light at the end of the tunnel.
A teen’s sense of self is unsettled by a kidnapping.
After a prologue reveals the hero’s captive status, the story introduces Sayers Wayte as he was before—an uber-wealthy, hard-partying, privilege-flaunting Texas teen who’s falling in with a meaner crowd (including a friendship with a bully who ridicules Sayers’ best friend for his bisexuality and targets a vulnerable nerd in encounters that rapidly escalate to disturbing levels off-page). The first act balances Sayers’ charm and potential with his character failings while keeping readers guessing who the kidnapper will be (and what their motivations are). Once he’s been kidnapped, Sayers must attempt to manipulate his kidnapper by playing along with who the kidnapper wants him to be—at first, it’s a ruse to create chances to try to escape, but eventually Sayers’ identity and feelings toward his kidnapper begin to blur. A dangerous discovery pushes his mind to the brink to protect him and keep him alive. Unlike hostage stories that end with the rescue, Roe digs deep into what happens in the aftermath as Sayers tries to learn how to be a functioning individual again and struggles with rebuilding his entire self. There are no easy answers for Sayers’ issues, but with determination and help from key friends, he finds hope. Aside from a character with a Guatemalan father, most characters default to White.
A deep dive into trauma, with light at the end of the tunnel. (Thriller. 15-18)Pub Date: Oct. 11, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-06-305173-7
Page Count: 512
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
A thrilling fantasy series opener.
Gem, a transmasc teen in a small Southern town, finds it increasingly difficult to discern between nightmare and reality when a new girl comes to town and informs Gem that they’re a god.
Following a difficult divorce, Gem and their mother moved to Gracie, Georgia, their mom’s hometown, which is also closer to their ancestral Seminole lands. It’s been four years, but Gem feels alone and dreams of moving to Brooklyn, where their best friend, Enzo, a Native trans boy with a thriving queer social life, lives. Gem and Enzo talk regularly, but Gem has never mentioned the vivid nightmares—full of “blood and gore and magic and sex demons”—that have haunted them since childhood. So when beautiful new classmate Willa Mae saves Gem’s life and claims that the two of them are gods and soulmates, Gem’s mom begins to question whether Gem is hallucinating like their father did. But taking their meds is not a top priority for Gem right now: They have to find a magic knife and stave off the demons that are threatening their life while figuring out what to do about loving two people at the same time. Fast-paced and engaging, the novel addresses queer identity, mental health, and belonging to and disconnection from one’s land and language, while weaving a vivid magic realm with its own logic.
A thrilling fantasy series opener. (map) (Fantasy. 15-18)Pub Date: Nov. 28, 2023
ISBN: 9781250853615
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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