Strong writing and a layered, evocative exploration of hope make this a standout.
In the historically agricultural Southern California town of San Fermín, high school senior Paloma laments the changes around her.
The vast green spaces are being replaced by warehouses for the mega-corporation Selva, where her father and other farmworkers are now employed: “a tomb where the trees used to be. A massive block of gray where there had been pasture.” Sometimes school is canceled because of pollution from the exhaust of Selva’s semitrucks. People are getting sick and dying. After learning that another warehouse will be built next to Paloma’s school, her mother wants to move home to Pasto Verde. In that mostly white college town, she and Pa can work in the family’s Mexican restaurant. But community-minded Pa insists on finishing the strike for better working conditions at the Selva warehouse. Julio, Paloma’s ex-boyfriend and former best friend, resurfaces after their devastating breakup, hoping she’ll collaborate with him on a life-changing college scholarship project. Paloma must navigate the pressures of her fracturing home life with her rekindling feelings for Julio. Set against a backdrop of dismal polluted skies, this novel feels dystopian but is inspired by real concerns. Pura Belpré Award winner Ixta’s sophomore novel is a nuanced and deftly woven story that will inspire readers to examine their own moral compasses.
Strong writing and a layered, evocative exploration of hope make this a standout. (maps, author’s note, bibliography) (Fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: Feb. 3, 2026
ISBN: 9780063287914
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Nov. 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: yesterday
BOOK REVIEW
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 contemporary hero’s journey, brilliantly told.
The 17-year-old son of a troubled rock star is determined to find his own way in life and love.
On the verge of adulthood, Blade Morrison wants to leave his father’s bad-boy reputation for drug-and-alcohol–induced antics and his sister’s edgy lifestyle behind. The death of his mother 10 years ago left them all without an anchor. Named for the black superhero, Blade shares his family’s connection to music but resents the paparazzi that prevent him from having an open relationship with the girl that he loves. However, there is one secret even Blade is unaware of, and when his sister reveals the truth of his heritage during a bitter fight, Blade is stunned. When he finally gains some measure of equilibrium, he decides to investigate, embarking on a search that will lead him to a small, remote village in Ghana. Along the way, he meets people with a sense of purpose, especially Joy, a young Ghanaian who helps him despite her suspicions of Americans. This rich novel in verse is full of the music that forms its core. In addition to Alexander and co-author Hess’ skilled use of language, references to classic rock songs abound. Secondary characters add texture to the story: does his girlfriend have real feelings for Blade? Is there more to his father than his inability to stay clean and sober? At the center is Blade, fully realized and achingly real in his pain and confusion.
A contemporary hero’s journey, brilliantly told. (Verse fiction. 14-adult)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-310-76183-9
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Blink
Review Posted Online: April 30, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2017
PERSPECTIVES
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