An interracial teen romance that unflinchingly tackles racism and patriarchy.
When Indian American 18-year-old Rani catches tattooed art student Oliver checking her out, she thinks she must be imagining it; boys haven’t been romantically interested in her.
Even though Rani’s traditional Indian immigrant parents have made it clear that she is not allowed to date, when Oliver, a White boy, asks her out, she says yes, launching herself into what feels like a perfect high school romance. Even Rani’s cynical best friend, Kate, approves of the relationship—an endorsement that helps Rani convince herself that sneaking around with Oliver is worth it. But as the two grow closer, and as Oliver’s troubled family life spirals out of control, he begins to ask more from Rani than she is able to give and to exhibit troublingly racist attitudes and behaviors that Rani finds increasingly difficult to ignore. Eventually, she finds herself struggling to balance the demands of Oliver and her parents, all the while trying to be true to herself. Rani demonstrates greater awareness of intersectionality in a U.S. context than she does of her status in regard to her family's high-caste Hindu identity, perhaps reflecting her upbringing within a tight immigrant social circle. Rani and Oliver’s passion is well written, and Rani’s spirited and honest voice authentically leads readers through the challenges and thrills of an interracial and cross-cultural teen romance. This heartbreaking love story is a strong debut and an entertaining read.
An interracial teen romance that unflinchingly tackles racism and patriarchy. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: March 9, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-984897-15-2
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Dec. 14, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2021
Ali, 15 going on 16, lives in Bed-Stuy with his mom, a social worker, and his little sister, Jazz, who has a knack for...
A literary story of growing up in Brooklyn.
Ali, 15 going on 16, lives in Bed-Stuy with his mom, a social worker, and his little sister, Jazz, who has a knack for markers. He hangs out on the stoop with his two BFFs, brothers nicknamed by his sister: Noodles and Needles. Needles, the older, suffers from Tourette’s syndrome, and Noodles and Ali look out for him. In the lead plotline, the three boys crash an illegal party in the basement of a nearby brownstone and then deal with the fallout. Action notwithstanding, the story actually reads more like a character study of Ali and his sister and friends and a tender homage to this seemingly dangerous neighborhood. Even though Reynolds thoughtfully (and most likely truthfully) depicts the neighborhood as one where guns and drug transactions are seen regularly, readers don’t necessarily feel the danger due to the tender and deeply protective relationships of the characters, who are realistically if not exquisitely drawn. The plot, though compelling, takes back seat to them, and what unfolds is a moving and thought-provoking study of the connectivity among a family and friends that plays upon and defies readers’ expectations. An author worth watching. (Fiction. 12 & up) .Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-5947-2
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: Oct. 19, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2013
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Regardless, readers will likely be so swept up in the romance they can read past any flaws.
An ultimately compelling exploration of teenage growth and young love.
With her idolized sister Margot leaving for college, Lara Jean doesn’t feel ready for the coming changes: becoming more responsible for their younger sister, Kitty, helping their widowed father, or seeing Margot break up with Josh, the boy next door—whom Lara Jean secretly liked first. But there’s even greater upheaval to come, when Lara Jean’s five secret letters to the boys she’s loved are mailed to them by accident. Lara Jean runs when sweet, dependable Josh tries to talk to her about her letter. And when Peter Kavinsky gets his letter, it brings him back into Lara Jean’s life, all handsome, charming, layered and complicated. They start a fake relationship to help Lara Jean deal with Josh and Peter to get over his ex. But maybe Lara Jean and Peter will discover there’s something more between them as they learn about themselves and each other. It’s difficult to see this book as a love triangle—Josh is bland as oatmeal, and Peter is utterly charismatic. Meanwhile, readers may find that Lara Jean sometimes seems too naïve and rather young for 16—though in many ways, this makes her feel more realistic than many of the world-weary teens that populate the shelves.
Regardless, readers will likely be so swept up in the romance they can read past any flaws. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: April 2, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2670-2
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 4, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2014
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