An impressive first novel that effectively draws on the author’s family story.
In Kessides’ debut YA historical novel, a young woman confronts xenophobia, her family’s struggles and strictures, the horrors of World War I, and an influenza epidemic.
Pittsburgh resident Magda Augustin is a bright 16-year-old with large ambitions. Unfortunately, her father decrees that she must drop out of high school—and probably give up her college dreams, as well—to take care of her sick mother and toddler brother, Richy. She’s crushed, but she seeks the help of her retired schoolteacher aunts, Minnie and Tillie, who offer not only tutoring, but also wise counsel. The question of the hour in their German enclave is whether the United States will enter the war in Europe; when it finally does, Magda’s brother Fred signs up to fight, as does her brother-in-law, while she volunteers as an assistant nurse with the Red Cross. She’s introduced to Fred’s friend Conrad Hecht, and readers know early on that they’re meant for each other. Between the one-two punch of the war and a flu epidemic, many around Magda don’t survive. But those who do patch together their lives and become stronger for it. Still, it’s a painful spiritual trade-off: “It seemed that if one thought too much about loving someone, they would soon be gone.” Kessides writes in an author’s note that the book was inspired by her own family history as well as the Covid-19 pandemic. Magda is an appealing protagonist, and the book, though told in the third person, presents the character’s sensitive perspective; sometimes she feels sorry for herself, but not for long, and then she feels guilty about it and resolves to do better. Above all, she’s revealed to be resourceful and understanding—a person upon whom no experience is lost. As a result, readers get a good, detailed sense of place as the book explores a brawny town of steel mills and foundries where clear skies were the exception, not the rule: “The usual dirty air had receded a little, allowing the sun to venture out in place of the resident winter gloom.”
An impressive first novel that effectively draws on the author’s family story.Pub Date: June 13, 2023
ISBN: 9781954805385
Page Count: 380
Publisher: Bold Story Press
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.
In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me, three characters tell their sides of the story.
Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind. (author’s note, content warning) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781728276229
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
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
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