Appropriately enough, lots of fun on multiple levels.
The other half of the parallel-universe story begun in Now That You’re Here (2014).
No recap’s given, as this story has the same starting point as the previous novel, just different narrators: the other Danny, who wakes up in a different dimension, and the Eevee native to it. This Eevee’s a passionate artist instead of an academic; the daughter of the powerful governor, she nevertheless chafes against the widespread political censorship of art. Despite the big changes between worlds (this Phoenix is on the coast), the biggest shock for Danny is discovering that in this dimension his parents are alive. This Danny and Eevee are connected by fate and by this universe’s Warren, still a supergenius and Eevee’s friend but also with secret ties to various entities, including the anti-government group the other Danny was involved in prior to the explosion. Danny and Eevee have off-the-charts chemistry. The nonromantic storylines—Eevee’s competition for a shot at a foreign art school placement and Danny’s quick immersion in his parallel self’s light rebellion via graffiti—allow the characters to develop outside of their romance. The overarching plot involves fighting the increasingly dystopian society’s latest and most-intrusive-yet surveillance program, and it weaves seamlessly into the dimension hopping. The novel’s tense and exciting throughout, but the ending is far too abrupt and will leave readers demanding the next installment promptly.
Appropriately enough, lots of fun on multiple levels. (Science fiction. 12 & up)Pub Date: Aug. 4, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-385-75392-0
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 11, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2015
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
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
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