An exciting, high-stakes story offering relevant social commentary.
Residents of Cascadia, an environmentally devastated Pacific Northwest region, have a choice: fend for themselves in the lawless, storm-battered wild or endure lifelong servitude as citizens of the Aegis Corporation in return for food, shelter, and healthcare.
Small, independent communities, like the Conclave on Bainbridge Island, where Fox LaRosa lives, have survived outside Seattle’s Zones for 122 years. But with a lethal virus known as the Vi spreading unchecked, fear drives some people to trade their freedom for citizenship’s benefits—even though it comes with risks. Resisting orders can be fatal; a future as body parts awaits many at Harvest House. When her sister, Rabbit, is detained by Aegis in Seattle, Fox and her friends become determined to rescue her, contravening the Conclave’s decision. Fox, best friend Cely, ex-boyfriend Asher, and fellow Conclave member Eamon infiltrate Aegis in search of Rabbit. Using an extendable cane (with a hidden blade) for the chronic hip pain she experiences following a childhood injury, Fox endures exhausting trials and revisits her feelings for Asher. When Rabbit is publicly paraded as someone who’s immune to the Vi and possessing antibodies that are essential to the vaccine, Fox becomes skeptical about the Vi’s origin and spread. Readers seeking robust worldbuilding and a detailed backstory for this setting may be disappointed, but the fast-paced, well-executed, suspense-driven plot will keep them entertained. Fox and Rabbit present white, and the diverse cast of secondary characters adds depth.
An exciting, high-stakes story offering relevant social commentary. (Post-apocalyptic. 14-18)Pub Date: July 15, 2025
ISBN: 9781682637579
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Peachtree Teen
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Raw, delicate, and deeply caring.
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)Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780063240858
Page Count: 720
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 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
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
