Fellow writers will understand Autumn’s quest, but others may not find her tale as compelling.
Autumn is a writer, and although she’s just 12, she is fully ready to be published—or so she thinks.
She’s midway through writing her first fantasy novel, but it’s her realistic writing that finally gets her the attention she craves. Life is made complicated by her disintegrating relationship with her previously loving older brother, Hunter. Since starting 10th grade, he’s become downright mean, even reading aloud to members of his rock band the love poem Autumn composed to her serious crush, enigmatic Cameron—in front of Cameron’s older brother. Autumn seeks revenge, first composing a scathing and untrue review of his band’s performance but then submitting to an essay contest a description of what Hunter used to mean to her contrasted against his recent behavior. Although many of the embarrassing situations she endures will be uncomfortably familiar to readers—especially her uncertain encounters with her crush—Autumn only achieves real likability near the end of this tame outing. Her narrative voice is fully believable but lacks the amiability that would elevate her to admirable or charming. Her parents’ earnest attempts to fix Hunter’s problems add a subplot of mild frustration. In the absence of racial or ethnic markers, readers are likely to see Autumn and her family as white.
Fellow writers will understand Autumn’s quest, but others may not find her tale as compelling. (Fiction. 10-12)Pub Date: Sept. 27, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-374-30164-4
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Margaret Ferguson/Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The Baudelaire children—Violet, 14, Klaus, 12, and baby Sunny—are exceedingly ill-fated; Snicket extracts both humor and horror from their situation, as he gleefully puts them through one terrible ordeal after another. After receiving the news that their parents died in a fire, the three hapless orphans are delivered into the care of Count Olaf, who “is either a third cousin four times removed, or a fourth cousin three times removed.” The villainous Count Olaf is morally depraved and generally mean, and only takes in the downtrodden yet valiant children so that he can figure out a way to separate them from their considerable inheritance. The youngsters are able to escape his clutches at the end, but since this is the first installment in A Series of Unfortunate Events, there will be more ghastly doings. Written with old-fashioned flair, this fast-paced book is not for the squeamish: the Baudelaire children are truly sympathetic characters who encounter a multitude of distressing situations. Those who enjoy a little poison in their porridge will find it wicked good fun. (b&w illustrations, not seen) (Fiction. 10-12)
Pub Date: Sept. 30, 1999
ISBN: 0-06-440766-7
Page Count: 162
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1999
An eminently satisfying story of family, recovery, and growing into manhood.
In this prequel to Newbery Award–winning The Crossover (2014), Alexander revisits previous themes and formats while exploring new ones.
For Charlie Bell, the future father of The Crossover’s Jordan and Josh, his father’s death alters his relationship with his mother and causes him to avoid what reminds him of his dad. At first, he’s just withdrawn, but after he steals from a neighbor, his mother packs a reluctant Charlie off to his grandparents near Washington, D.C., for the summer. His grandfather works part-time at a Boys and Girls Club where his cousin Roxie is a star basketball player. Despite his protests, she draws him into the game. His time with his grandparents deepens Charlie’s understanding of his father, and he begins to heal. “I feel / a little more normal, / like maybe he’s still here, / … in a / as long as I remember him / he’s still right here / in my heart / kind of way.” Once again, Alexander has given readers an African-American protagonist to cheer. He is surrounded by a strong supporting cast, especially two brilliant female characters, his friend CJ and his cousin Roxie, as well as his feisty and wise granddaddy. Music and cultural references from the late 1980s add authenticity. The novel in verse is enhanced by Anyabwile’s art, which reinforces Charlie’s love for comics.
An eminently satisfying story of family, recovery, and growing into manhood. (Historical verse fiction. 10-12)Pub Date: April 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-544-86813-7
Page Count: 416
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
SEEN & HEARD
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