bookshelf

MAYBE

Name: MAYBE
Author: Brent Runyon
ISBN: 0-375-83543-1

by Brent Runyon ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 10, 2006

bookshelf

Runyon follows the critical success of Burn Journals (2004) with a foray into fiction that features another troubled teenaged boy. The 16-year-old protagonist finds himself awash in self-doubt and insecurity when his family moves to a new town after the tragic death of his older, more gregarious, brother. Plagued with “maybes,” (“maybe she’ll have sex with me,” “maybe I should join the Thespians”), the young man’s most worrisome doubts are that his brother might have crashed his car on purpose, and that he might be heading down the same road of self-destruction. When at school or with friends, his grief is held at bay; however, the few scenes in which the boy interacts with his parents are particularly poignant in their portrayal of how a family tries to move forward despite their heartache. The common insecurities of adolescence—specifically of hormonally charged teenaged boys—coupled with the added drama and intrigue surrounding the brother’s accident, make this an accessible work for a wide, albeit older, teen audience. (Fiction. YA)

Pub Date: Oct. 10, 2006

ISBN: 0-375-83543-1

Page Count: 192

Publisher: Knopf

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2006

Categories:

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
SURFACE TENSION
by Brent Runyon

- BOOK REVIEW
THE BURN JOURNALS
by Brent Runyon

bookshelf

BLACK AND WHITE

by Paul Volponi ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2005

bookshelf

Marcus is black and Eddie white in a multicultural Long Island neighborhood. Known to all as “Black and White,” they have honed their athletic skills together and are in the midst of a basketball season headed to the playoffs and scholarships to good colleges. They know each other’s timing and rhythm and feel complete trust in each other. However, off the court they have decided to supplement their income by holding up strangers for money for senior activities and the latest athletic shoes. Using Grandpa’s gun from Eddie’s attic, both think their initial success means invincibility. The nightmare that ensues when Eddie inadvertently hits the trigger—and their victim—becomes the playing field for the author’s exploration of how much difference race can make in the fate of each boy and their friendship. Rather than exploring the issue of race by pretending it doesn’t exist, Volponi points directly at it, illustrating at every turn that the race of the various characters influences events as well as whether Marcus will end up in prison alone. Consequences for everyone unfold and escalate in rapid-fire fashion. Hugely discussable. (Fiction. YA)

Pub Date: May 1, 2005

ISBN: 0-670-06006-2

Page Count: 160

Publisher: Viking

Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2005

Categories:

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS

- BOOK REVIEW
TOP PROSPECT
by Paul Volponi

- BOOK REVIEW
GAME SEVEN
by Paul Volponi

- BOOK REVIEW
THE FINAL FOUR
by Paul Volponi

bookshelf

THE SURVIVOR WANTS TO DIE AT THE END

by Adam Silvera ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 6, 2025

Raw, delicate, and deeply caring.

bookshelf

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)