Clichés and unbelievable characters bog down this opposites-attract tale.
A Latino boxer from a gang-infested farm town falls for a naïve rich girl.
Miguel Angel may be a struggling farmworker's son in Alisal, the poorest neighborhood in California's Salinas Valley, but thanks to an after-school boxing club, his dreams of becoming the next Muhammad Ali keep him away from the town’s ubiquitous gangs. Plus, he's got Britney, a beautiful blonde from posh Pebble Beach. But when the boxing program faces eviction, Miguel Angel's future seems uncertain—and he doesn't even know about Britney's missing period. Despite the book's initially intriguing premise, the author fails to deliver believable characterization or a focused plot. Supporting players are a confusing mix of hollow stereotypes—Britney's father, for example, combines high-class snobbery and racism with his own thuggish violence. There may be wealthy white lawyers who don’t want their daughters to date scholarship-needing "losers," but how many seriously threaten to blow out the brains of those "beaner" boyfriends? The romance is disappointingly bland, and the omniscient narration feels disconnected from the characters it's describing (straight-talking Miguel Angel waxes poetic about "princess" Britney's nourishing kisses and "long hair floating down her back like a curtain of monarch butterflies in the forest of his mother's Michoacán"). A touch of unnecessary magical realism (Miguel Angel speaks to the comical ghost of his great-grandmother) only muddles the narrative further.
Clichés and unbelievable characters bog down this opposites-attract tale. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 31, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-55885-818-3
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Piñata Books/Arte Público
Review Posted Online: Aug. 25, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2015
An inspiring, powerful tale of belonging.
The follow-up to Lobizona (2020) sees its protagonist’s fight for equality and acceptance reach new heights.
After the events of the first book, Manu and her friends flee their magical school and are on the run to avoid the Cazadores who aim to capture anyone who doesn’t conform to the stringent gender binary laws of their world. Manu, as the first ever known female werewolf and a Septimus/human hybrid to boot, could lose her life if she’s discovered. Illegal in both worlds, Manu’s only chance is to find the Coven, a legendary underground movement of outcasts who she hopes will welcome them with open arms. Once she meets the people of the Coven, Manu encounters a world full of Septimus who are willing to risk anything for change. But how far is Manu willing to go? In this effervescent sequel full of magic and beautiful imagery, Manu learns to reclaim her own narrative and, together with her lovable found family, including misfits Saysa and Cata as well as boyfriend Tiago, stake out a place in the world where she belongs. Refreshingly, Manu and her friends are not presented as uniquely positioned to change the world: They join a multigenerational, ongoing fight against oppression that aims to give voice to the nonconforming voiceless. All characters are Argentine, with a variety of skin tones, gender identities, and sexualities.
An inspiring, powerful tale of belonging. (Paranormal. 14-18)Pub Date: Aug. 17, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-23915-0
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2021
Entertaining.
A tale of love and loss that spans the globe.
Instead of having a carefree summer, biracial (Korean/White) Anna is sent away from the familiarity of New York, her friends, the past school year’s scandal—and the memories of her dead boyfriend, Alexia Vronsky. While struggling with grief, her shattered self-image, and an uncertain future, Anna attempts to reclaim her summer in Seoul, where she knows only her father and grandmother. Beatrice, Alexia’s cousin, juggles her clingy girlfriend and falling for a California surfer even as she represses her grief. Meanwhile, Anna’s brother, Steven, plans for an amazing summer party, although Lolly, his girlfriend, is away at theater camp. Steven’s best friend, Dustin, and Kimmie, Lolly’s younger sister, are equally nervous about their first sexual experience together. This sequel to Anna K (2020) contains fewer mentions of luxury brands, and the characters exhibit an increased awareness of the impacts of wealth and socio-economic status. The novel also touches on issues of addiction, sexism, cultural differences, fame, relationships, love, and mental health; in particular, the portrayals of living with grief and redefining the self after a loved one dies shine. Despite some awkward time skips, the humor, pop-culture references, and characters’ distinct voices strengthen the story. Fans of the first novel will enjoy this follow-up, which is also accessible to readers new to Anna and her world. Some major characters are White; Dustin is Black and Jewish, and there is diversity in the supporting cast.
Entertaining. (cast of characters) (Fiction. 15-18)Pub Date: April 27, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-23646-3
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: March 24, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2021
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