An interesting premise that gets bogged down in emotional turmoil.
Alec Braud is only 17, but he’s already a reality TV victor—and villain.
He’s also still in love with his showmance ex-boyfriend, Mexican American Joaquín Delgado. So when Joaquín suggests they go on a Midwestern road trip together to recreate—and “queerify”—scenes from famous musicals, Alec, who’s white, quickly agrees. The two boys embark on their journey, which will allow Joaquín to take photos for his art school portfolio, and attempt to process their feelings about Campfire Wars (“think low-budget Survivor for teens, just without the starvation”). They also navigate friendship after dating, which is complicated by the fact that Alec betrayed Joaquín to win the competition and the grand prize of $250,000. Despite his philanthropic intentions—he donated much of his winnings to his family’s struggling wildlife rehabilitation center—fans labeled Alec one of the worst contestants to appear on the show. Negative public opinion and the toxicity of the show’s production team cause Alec to seriously question both his identity and his relationships. He desperately tries to convince himself that his behavior was justified, but he constantly spirals, bringing readers into his chaotic headspace as he alienates his friends and makes poor decisions. As Alec tries his best to figure himself out, his inner debates and questionable actions can feel taxing. Hanson’s debut effectively delves into the seedy underbelly of the reality TV world, including biases in representation; this element may sustain readers’ interest.
An interesting premise that gets bogged down in emotional turmoil. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 17, 2025
ISBN: 9798890032720
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Page Street
Review Posted Online: May 16, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A troubling depiction of an unhealthy relationship.
A battered girl and an injured rugby star spark up an ill-advised romance at an Irish secondary school.
Beautiful, waiflike, 15-year-old Shannon has lived her entire life in Ballylaggin. Alternately bullied at school and beaten by her ne’er-do-well father, she’s hopeful for a fresh start at Tommen, a private school. Seventeen-year-old Johnny, who has a hair-trigger temper and a severe groin injury, is used to Dublin’s elite-level rugby but, since his family’s move to County Cork, is now stuck captaining Tommen’s middling team. When Johnny angrily kicks a ball and knocks Shannon unconscious (“a soft female groan came from her lips”), a tentative relationship is born. As the two grow closer, Johnny’s past and Shannon’s present become serious obstacles to their budding love, threatening Shannon’s safety. Shannon’s portrayal feels infantilized (“I looked down at the tiny little female under my arm”), while Johnny comes across as borderline obsessive (“I knew I shouldn’t be touching her, but how the hell could I not?”). Uneven pacing and choppy sentences lead to a sudden climax and an unsatisfyingly abrupt ending. Repetitive descriptions, abundant and misogynistic dialogue (Johnny, to his best friend: “who’s the bitch with a vagina now?”), and graphic violence also weigh down this lengthy tome (considerably trimmed down from its original, self-published length). The cast of lively, well-developed supporting characters, especially Johnny’s best friend and Shannon’s protective older brother, is a bright spot. Major characters read white.
A troubling depiction of an unhealthy relationship. (author’s note, pronunciations, glossary, song moments, playlists) (Romance. 16-18)Pub Date: Nov. 28, 2023
ISBN: 9781728299945
Page Count: 626
Publisher: Bloom Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 21, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2023
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