Forty-one stories bring postwar Chicago to life through the eyes of Gifford’s alter-ego, Roy, who acts as a witness to a bygone era.
In the coda to the collection, Prince Faisal says to Lawrence of Arabia, “I long for the vanished gardens of Cordoba,” and Roy, the protagonist of most of the stories “knew exactly how Faisal felt,” remembering his favorite shortstop on the infield of old, demolished Comiskey Park. Gifford’s first novel for young adults, published in both young adult and adult editions, recreates a vanished time and place. Roy’s experiences include strippers, prize fighters, bums, a grill owner abducted by aliens, a naked boy with a deer rifle, a fur-cart pusher who’s the son of Auschwitz survivors and other characters that flesh out a landscape that makes Roy who he is. The third-person stories are snippets of experience, tales that set up few conflicts and offer no obvious revelations, and young readers may well be frustrated by the intangibility of the stories, but they do offer an accumulation of experience that adds up to one boy’s life in a particular time and place, vividly captured by an author who well knows his subject. Young readers will find in Roy a worthy companion for a trip to a Chicago that doesn’t exist anymore. (Fiction. 14 & up)
Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-58322-948-4
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Seven Stories
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2011
A lighthearted romance in which love comes to those who speak their minds and stick to their truths.
A strong young woman discovers love where she least expects it.
At 17, Madeline Fisher-Michaels’ only love has been field hockey. With her focus on playing in college, boys have never been a priority. But after she agrees to be a bridesmaid in her brother Austin’s wedding to his fiancée, Katie, everything changes. She allows Katie—whom she doesn’t like but hopes to bond with—and the other bridesmaids to be her matchmakers. Mads navigates complicated, changing feelings toward longtime best friend Connor McCallister and classmate Marco Álvarez, whom she banters and bickers with. With the support of her dads, Mads must work through shifting relationships with family, boys, and even herself. Mads proves to be a strong protagonist: She often speaks her mind and maintains clear boundaries throughout the novel, which is refreshing. She communicates well with her family and serves as an inspirational role model for young women navigating relationships. The complexity of Katie’s characterization is another highlight; her depth and growth balance the lack of substance in the portrayals of other supporting characters. Readers looking for drama and intrigue may be disappointed, but Walther’s strong young women characters truly shine in this quietly entertaining, character-driven tale. Marco is cued Latine in the otherwise largely white cast.
A lighthearted romance in which love comes to those who speak their minds and stick to their truths. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: June 3, 2025
ISBN: 9781728263144
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A powerful tale of found family and first love.
After a year away, Ellis returns home to confront her past.
Graduating from high school far from everything familiar was not part of Ellis Truman’s original plans, but she nevertheless ended up spending her senior year with her aunt in California. In Indiana, Ellis practically grew up with the Albrey family and their three tightknit sons, Dixon, Tucker, and Easton. Now, Tucker wants her to return home for matriarch Sandry Albrey’s 50th birthday celebration on the Fourth of July—but Ellis is dreading seeing Easton, as they haven’t talked since she left. Chapters alternate between past and present, and much of the story unravels slowly: How did she come to live with the Albreys? What caused Ellis to then end up in San Diego? What happened in her relationship with Easton? Patient readers will find the heartfelt tension pays off. With her father in and out of jail and an absent mother, socio-economic differences separating Ellis from the middle-class Albreys don’t go unnoticed, and Ellis’ down-to-earth journey shows how she unpacks her feelings about her relationship with her parents. The slow-build romance is swoonworthy, and young adult fans of Colleen Hoover seeking emotional devastation and unforgettable characters will find much to enjoy here. Characters read as White.
A powerful tale of found family and first love. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 10, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-06-308853-5
Page Count: 384
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: Jan. 10, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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