An undeniably moving read recommended for absolutely everyone—Dreamer or not.
Debut author Dimmig produces a deep and meaningful story in verse for reluctant readers about a young man who is shocked to discover that he is undocumented.
Osmel, a high school senior, lives in eastern Washington with his mother and 12-year-old sister, Leslie, and hopes to study meteorology in college. While celebrating Leslie’s birthday, Osmel learns from his law student aunt, Tía Alex—who recently marched alongside hundreds of other Dreamers in Seattle—that he and his mother are undocumented. From that point onward, Osmel is filled with trepidation. He confides in his school counselor but otherwise keeps this secret to himself, not even telling his mother he knows the truth. When his friend Juan confides that his dad didn’t come home the night before and later called his mom from a holding center, this only adds to Osmel’s daily apprehension. Told in the first person, primarily from Osmel’s perspective, descriptions of nature and weather patterns (his family works picking fruit in an orchard) and a sense of fear and loneliness permeate the story. Interludes from Leslie’s perspective offer a more assured, lyrical, and free voice, a fitting counterpoint to Osmel’s narration. The narrative is powerful, informative, and insightful, weakened only by a bumpy ending that feels overstuffed.
An undeniably moving read recommended for absolutely everyone—Dreamer or not. (Verse novel. 12-18)Pub Date: April 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5383-8284-4
Page Count: 200
Publisher: West 44 Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 9, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2019
PERSPECTIVES
Despite some missteps, this will appeal to readers who enjoy a fresh and realistic teen voice.
A teenage, not-so-lonely loner endures the wilds of high school in Austin, Texas.
Norris Kaplan, the protagonist of Philippe’s debut novel, is a hypersweaty, uber-snarky black, Haitian, French-Canadian pushing to survive life in his new school. His professor mom’s new tenure-track job transplants Norris mid–school year, and his biting wit and sarcasm are exposed through his cataloging of his new world in a field guide–style burn book. He’s greeted in his new life by an assortment of acquaintances, Liam, who is white and struggling with depression; Maddie, a self-sacrificing white cheerleader with a heart of gold; and Aarti, his Indian-American love interest who offers connection. Norris’ ego, fueled by his insecurities, often gets in the way of meaningful character development. The scenes showcasing his emotional growth are too brief and, despite foreshadowing, the climax falls flat because he still gets incredible personal access to people he’s hurt. A scene where Norris is confronted by his mother for getting drunk and belligerent with a white cop is diluted by his refusal or inability to grasp the severity of the situation and the resultant minor consequences. The humor is spot-on, as is the representation of the black diaspora; the opportunity for broader conversations about other topics is there, however, the uneven buildup of detailed, meaningful exchanges and the glibness of Norris’ voice detract.
Despite some missteps, this will appeal to readers who enjoy a fresh and realistic teen voice. (Fiction. 13-16)Pub Date: Jan. 8, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-06-282411-0
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Oct. 14, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
An auspicious ending may seem a bit unlikely to some, but this novel has many appealing aspects that will draw readers in.
Fifteen-year-old Zeke gets a job and becomes involved with community organizers who aim to unionize local food-service workers in this novel in verse for reluctant readers.
Zeke hates their lives in the city with Paul, his alcoholic mom’s abusive boyfriend, a hypocritical Christian, and he misses his old home in small-town Wisconsin. Spurred to action by the idea of making enough money for them to move back, he takes a job at Casa de Pizza, where he comes to understand the desperate circumstances many of his minimum-wage–earning co-workers face. Zeke keeps the job secret, fearing Paul will try to steal his earnings. Pagelong free-verse poems evocatively describe Zeke’s experiences and quickly propel the story forward. The dynamics between the employees at Casa de Pizza (Zeke and several others are white, Timothy is black, Hannah is originally from Oaxaca) will be recognizable to teens who’ve worked in food service. Readers will easily sympathize with the all-too-true-to-life situations with which the characters are coping—racism and sexual harassment, Zeke’s awful home life, and a co-worker’s eviction with her children among them. Though short, this story develops the characters’ personalities, sketches in the history of the labor movement, and includes a subdued romantic subplot, effectively balancing these various elements.
An auspicious ending may seem a bit unlikely to some, but this novel has many appealing aspects that will draw readers in. (Fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5383-8260-8
Page Count: 202
Publisher: West 44 Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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