Covering considerable ground—literally and figuratively—this short, lucid novel leaves readers plenty to ponder, including...
Tennis-whiz Floyd knows exactly what he’ll be when he grows up; Mike, a new, mysterious acquaintance, has other ideas.
Floyd’s white, affluent parents are passionate about tennis; the family business is building tennis courts in Sheffield, England. Unlike Floyd, his dad started late on the path to becoming a tennis pro only to have an injury permanently end his career. After spotting Floyd’s coach about to hit another child in training, his dad took over coaching Floyd himself. He’s a good coach and loving father, and Floyd is acutely sensitive to how invested both parents are in his career. When Floyd, age 5, won his first tournament, his parents rewarded him with a tropical fish. A decade of wins later, his collection takes up five tanks. Floyd’s puzzled by Mike, a strange boy who shows up occasionally. Only when Mike distracts him during a match does Floyd discover that only he can see Mike. Soon, with psychologist Dr. Pinner as guide, Floyd embarks on an urgent journey: to learn who Mike is, figure out what he wants, and realize that, when choosing our path through life, who we listen to matters. If the omniscient narrative voice, psychic distance, and a plot spanning years defy YA norms, what results has the enigmatic resonance of parable.
Covering considerable ground—literally and figuratively—this short, lucid novel leaves readers plenty to ponder, including its intriguing cover. (Fiction. 12-14)Pub Date: Feb. 26, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-28536-9
Page Count: 240
Publisher: David Fickling/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Oct. 22, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The wish-fulfilling title and sun-washed, catalog-beautiful teens on the cover will be enticing for girls looking for a...
Han’s leisurely paced, somewhat somber narrative revisits several beach-house summers in flashback through the eyes of now 15-year-old Isabel, known to all as Belly.
Belly measures her growing self by these summers and by her lifelong relationship with the older boys, her brother and her mother’s best friend’s two sons. Belly’s dawning awareness of her sexuality and that of the boys is a strong theme, as is the sense of summer as a separate and reflective time and place: Readers get glimpses of kisses on the beach, her best friend’s flirtations during one summer’s visit, a first date. In the background the two mothers renew their friendship each year, and Lauren, Belly’s mother, provides support for her friend—if not, unfortunately, for the children—in Susannah’s losing battle with breast cancer. Besides the mostly off-stage issue of a parent’s severe illness there’s not much here to challenge most readers—driving, beer-drinking, divorce, a moment of surprise at the mothers smoking medicinal pot together.
The wish-fulfilling title and sun-washed, catalog-beautiful teens on the cover will be enticing for girls looking for a diversion. (Fiction. 12-14)Pub Date: May 5, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4169-6823-8
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2009
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
When Clara Luna, 14, visits rural Mexico for the summer to visit the paternal grandparents she has never met, she cannot know her trip will involve an emotional and spiritual journey into her family’s past and a deep connection to a rich heritage of which she was barely aware. Long estranged from his parents, Clara’s father had entered the U.S. illegally years before, subsequently becoming a successful business owner who never spoke about what he left behind. Clara’s journey into her grandmother’s history (told in alternating chapters with Clara’s own first-person narrative) and her discovery that she, like her grandmother and ancestors, has a gift for healing, awakens her to the simple, mystical joys of a rural lifestyle she comes to love and wholly embrace. Painfully aware of not fitting into suburban teen life in her native Maryland, Clara awakens to feeling alive in Mexico and realizes a sweet first love with Pedro, a charming goat herder. Beautifully written, this is filled with evocative language that is rich in imagery and nuance and speaks to the connections that bind us all. Add a thrilling adventure and all the makings of an entrancing read are here. (glossaries) (Fiction. 12-14)
Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2006
ISBN: 0-385-73343-7
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2006
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
bookshelf
