Outstanding transgender and disabled representation shines through despite less robust worldbuilding.
Two trans teens find each other and themselves in this romantic fantasy for fans of Kristin Cashore’s Graceling and A.R. Capetta’s The Brilliant Death.
Bigender Val has always felt like both a boy and a girl: Valencia, a lady-in-waiting in Eliana’s court, and Gael, a knife-wielding boy assassin. Cade isn’t sure who he is anymore: Having transitioned and gone stealth, he has no interest in the throne but frequently doubles for his brother, Patrick, Adare’s reluctant prince. Val and Cade are enemies, both convinced they saw the other curse their families into an enchanted sleep that escalated their nations’ long-running war. When royalty from both sides agree to pursue diplomacy, Cade and Val are reluctantly—and then not-so-reluctantly—thrust into each other’s orbits. Although readers will root for Val and Cade as individuals and partners, the kingdoms’ underdeveloped magic systems and ever present yet lightly explored conflict can make it difficult to be invested in the enemies portion of their enemies-to-lovers romance. The nations of Eliana and Adare are inspired by Mexico and Ireland, respectively. Val uses a cane due to scoliosis and hypermobility, and Cade has a staff, which helps with walking following a war injury to his knee. Refreshingly, their disabilities are woven into every part of their narratives, including highly compelling fight scenes. Although secondary characters feel less fleshed out, there are many queer secondary characters, including an entire transmasc abbey with a binder business.
Outstanding transgender and disabled representation shines through despite less robust worldbuilding. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: May 16, 2023
ISBN: 9781250822239
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters.
When star hockey player Alec Barczewski’s estranged childhood friend, Dani Collins, moves to town, they end up in a mutually beneficial fake-dating relationship that reignites old feelings.
Following her parents’ divorce, Dani and her mom move in with Dani’s hockey legend grandfather in Southview, Minnesota, where she spent a month every summer as a child and where her friendship with Alec grew. Between visits, the two were pen pals, but they eventually fell out of touch. Despite some tensions over their loss of friendship, the high school seniors reconnect. Desperate to get off Harvard’s waitlist, Dani needs another extracurricular activity, while Alec—whose reputation took a hit when a photo of him holding a bong appeared on social media—is eager to improve his tarnished image for NHL scouts. The pair strike a deal: They’ll fake date, making Alec look like a stable guy whose academically gifted girlfriend is related to hockey royalty, and in exchange, he’ll get Dani a team manager position that will catch the eye of Harvard’s admissions officers. Eventually, complicated feelings about their past, stressful family relationships, and their brewing romance boil over. Romance fans will love the deliciously tension-filled scenes between Alec and Dani, who are believable friends with heavy demands weighing on them. They feel like real teenagers, and readers will enjoy rooting for them as the well-paced story unfolds. Main characters present white.
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2025
ISBN: 9781665921268
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
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
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