A romantic read celebrating love, self-acceptance, and familial ties.
A story centering intense and heartfelt family dynamics.
Arjun Mehta has been in love with best friend Madhuri Iyer since they were 13. As senior year begins, the duo sit down for their annual astrological reading by Madhuri’s mom. Apparently, Arjun is going to have a year filled with successes in “education, athletics, and love.” Madhuri, however, struggles against the prediction that this year she’ll “crash and burn.” She also resents the prophecy that says the women in her family will marry the first person they fall in love with; to her, it feels like a curse stopping her from having casual fun with dating. Madhuri hatches an experiment about kismat, or fate: She and Arjun will date until June, proving Madhuri is in charge of her own destiny. Only, their feelings deepen even as Arjun deals with his frequently absent divorced mother, who now makes occasional forays into establishing a relationship, and Madhuri struggles to embrace Indian culture in the face of internalized shame resulting from bullying by former friends. Strongly portrayed family dynamics add depth and tension to Arjun and Madhuri’s romance, although the pace of this debut is at times too slow and characters’ feelings are often spelled out for readers with a heavy hand. However, the cast members are a joy to spend time with, and the familial and romantic subplots intertwine beautifully.
A romantic read celebrating love, self-acceptance, and familial ties. (Romance. 13-18)Pub Date: June 13, 2023
ISBN: 9781335453686
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
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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