Dylan has developed plenty of theories about his life on the streets: Every fourth person will give him money; no one gives him something for nothing; all relatives suck. Not that he’s on the street by choice; his mom booted him out and he’s never seen his father. Hanging out at the library and grabbing the first book within reach to make it look like he’s there to read, Dylan becomes acquainted with Albert Einstein, who also had a number of theories. In the coming weeks, Dylan reads up on Einstein and, in a scene that would seem incongruous but that works perfectly to change pace and tone, he encounters Einstein in the library’s washroom. Perched on the edge of a sink, Einstein challenges Dylan’s theories and nudges Dylan toward a new theory of himself. Even if it was a pill-induced hallucinatory encounter, Dylan comes away with a resolve to make a small step for himself and is more open to the help some are ready to give. A beautifully written work on a gritty subject. (author’s note) (Fiction. YA)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 0-8050-7790-1
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2005
BOOK REVIEW
Raw, delicate, and deeply caring.
When Death-Cast doesn’t call, fate intertwines the lives of two boys, both haunted by their pasts and with futures they can’t escape.
In this third installment of the series that opened with 2017’s They Both Die at the End, Paz Dario waits every night for Death-Cast to call—as it should have for his father nearly 10 years ago, when Paz shot him to save his mother’s life. But the call never comes. Death-Cast killed Paz’s dreams of an acting career: No one will hire him now because the world sees him as a villain. When Paz tries (not for the first time) to put an end to his suffering, an unexpected encounter with Alano Rosa, the heir of Death-Cast, stops him. Both in a place of desperation, Alano and Paz sign a contract to live for Begin Days instead of waiting for their End Days. As suspenseful and emotionally wrenching as the previous titles in the series, this new installment explores heavy themes of abuse, mental health, self-harm, and suicide. Paz grapples with a recent diagnosis of borderline personality disorder. Silvera surrounds Alano and Paz with a web of complex relationships. Although the protagonists fall fast for one another and form a deep connection over Alano’s desire to support Paz, Silvera emphasizes the importance of professional help. Both Alano and Paz have Puerto Rican heritage. The cliffhanger ending promises more to come.
Raw, delicate, and deeply caring. (content warning, resources) (Speculative fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780063240858
Page Count: 720
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
Seductive if somewhat overdone.
There’s something in the ocean, and it wants blood.
Briar Winters has been haunted all her life—by the drowning death of her twin brother when they were six and by a voice in her head that says she’ll one day join him. It’s almost the end of summer, and soon Briar’s three closest friends—Kai Baisho, Astrid Hoffman, and Finn Adler—will disperse to various colleges, leaving her behind in their hometown of Loch Creek, Massachusetts, where tragedies seem to strike repeatedly. Finn is logical and math-oriented, but he’s nevertheless been researching occult matters that just happen to involve both quantum physics and Loch Creek’s strange happenings. He and Briar are friends, found family, and maybe more? But the day after the summer carnival, Finn vanishes—and only Briar, Kai, and Astrid remember that he ever existed. As Briar’s 19th birthday party approaches, odd events in town, rumors of witches, and her own seemingly pending demise won’t stop her from finding Finn and bringing him back home. Debut author Elizabeth’s narrative is littered with moody purple prose that establishes the melodramatic atmosphere, perhaps inspired by the Edgar Allan Poe poem “The City in the Sea” that’s quoted at the beginning of each of the book’s six sections. The lead-up to the climax will enthrall readers who are willing to wade through a few confusing detours along the way. The leads present white, and both are bisexual.
Seductive if somewhat overdone. (Horror. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2025
ISBN: 9780823459384
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: June 13, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2025
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