A haunting and honest depiction of adversity and triumph that reveals America’s continuing struggle to give equal...
America’s systemic race and class problems are viscerally rendered in this evocative account of a black teenage girl’s coming-of-age in a novel for reluctant readers.
Shanequa’s life is one of constant heartbreaking struggle. Her father is in jail for second-degree murder, and her mother, depressed by the loss of her husband, succumbs to drugs and abandons her children, leaving Shanequa and her younger sister, LaKecia, to be raised by their grandmother. Yearning for a better life, Shanequa works her way into the prestigious Bidwell Academy for Girls, where she must strive to move forward while dealing with the ghosts from her past. Told in a series of short narrative poems, Shanequa’s struggles, dreams, and fears come alive on the page as she grapples with shame at being poor in a rich world and the indignities of being black and exoticized in a predominantly white educational environment. Taylor (Street Pharmacist, 2016, etc.) nicely employs the story’s framework to turn the protagonist into a shrewdly observational character with a unique voice by giving the readers small glimpses into her thoughts. Descriptions of the two sisters reveal that the darker-skinned Shanequa feels ugly in comparison to her lighter sibling, and casual discussion of various students’ cellphones underscores the class disparities at her school.
A haunting and honest depiction of adversity and triumph that reveals America’s continuing struggle to give equal opportunities to all. (Verse novel. 15-18)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5383-8248-6
Page Count: 202
Publisher: West 44 Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
A disturbing, suspenseful coming-of-age story about power, corruption, and the choices we make both for ourselves and the...
The last thing Claudia McCarthy wanted was power—that is, until she had some.
After years of being teased for her limp and her speech impediment, Claudia enters her new high school, Imperial Day Academy, with only one goal in mind: to be as invisible as possible. That is, until her mortal enemy, the powerful Honor Council member Livia Drusus, orders her to run for Student Senate, thereby thrusting Claudia into the spotlight. Against all odds, Claudia wins her election and, after uncovering a financial scandal within the current Senate, becomes vice president. As Claudia becomes more and more powerful, she begins to question the motivations of everyone around her—including her own. This retelling of the novel I, Claudius (1934) is a gripping political thriller told through a complex narrator whose facility for coldhearted political calculation is exceeded only by her capacity for self-doubt. Claudia is white, and the story features a diverse set of characters who are neither immune to the impact of nor entirely defined by their race, queerness, or physical ability. This narratorial approach is particularly refreshing when it comes to Claudia: Most notably, unlike the majority of disabled characters in young adult fiction, Claudia falls in (reciprocated) love with a popular, nondisabled student.
A disturbing, suspenseful coming-of-age story about power, corruption, and the choices we make both for ourselves and the ones we love. (Thriller. 16-adult)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5124-4846-7
Page Count: 424
Publisher: Carolrhoda
Review Posted Online: May 27, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
PROFILES
A love story that goes nowhere.
A novel in verse loosely based on a Russian classic and transported to contemporary Paris.
Eugene and Tatiana first met as teens, thrown together in the suburbs when 17-year-old Eugene accompanied his friend Lensky on visits to Lensky’s girlfriend, Olga. To Tatiana, Olga’s 14-year-old sister, Eugene is charming and the perfect crush. Eugene, however, is apathetic and bored by life, uncaring about whom he might hurt by his actions, even after a tragic accident ends Lensky’s life. Ten years later, when he encounters Tatiana, an art history scholar, Eugene has a “gray man's soul”: “He was used to his hope feeling numb, / used to hoping for nothing in particular.” Now, as an adult, Eugene sees Tatiana as the solution to his listless, colorless life, his interest in her becoming an unchecked obsession. With the potential for a successful career and a move to the United States ahead of her, Tatiana isn’t so sure a romance between herself and Eugene will last—not with his words after her teenage confession of love still ringing in her ears. Based on Pushkin’s Eugene Onegin, the plot easily translates into a modern setting. Yet the complex structure—free verse originally published in French—becomes stilted, the flow frequently disrupted by asides from the omniscient narrator. Despite Paris’ diversity, all characters appear to be white.
A love story that goes nowhere. (Verse novel. 14-adult)Pub Date: Jan. 8, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-250-29916-1
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 29, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2018
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