A diverting and sometimes-profound novel of teamwork and perseverance.
In Cloudwatcher’s YA novel, a group of teenage boys make an arduous trek across the desert, led by a young man with a secret mission.
Seventeen-year-old Hugumki will someday be chief of a Hohokam village in the Sonoran Desert, in what is now Arizona. First, he’ll lead a group of nine fellow teenagers on a challenge that will turn the so-called “wild boys” into men. They’ll traverse a desert with unpredictable terrain, including mountains, plateaus, mesas, and buttes. Only Hugumki knows that the journey’s other purpose is to find the magical singing stones, which may be able to save the villagers’ crops after an especially bad harvest. The 10 boys have a range of skills and personalities, from tiny, inquisitive Bird to Ah Ki Wami, who’s known in the village for his furious anger. They travel for many days under Father Sun’s relentless heat and must conserve the water they carry in deer bladders. There are all sorts of creatures they’ll likely encounter, not the least of which is a “mountain cat the size of a small bear.” Cloudwatcher’s taut story, despite all the peril the boys face, is spirited and uplifting in tone. Hugumki, the other teens, and even a dog who joins them on their quest are all likable characters, and it’s encouraging to watch the boys confront fears, overcome uncertainties, and realize that adulthood means they’ll have to mature and forgo “childish games.” (The latter is particularly relevant to the four youngest boys, which the narrative often groups together.) Hugumki doubts his leadership abilities, but his responsibility is great, as the test will be a failure if even one participant returns to the village hurt. The author’s depiction of the vibrant but perilous environment is sharp, such as when “the sky explodes into all the colors that pink has in its palette,” and when the group hears frightening sounds in the nighttime desert, including countless noises from animals they can’t see.
A diverting and sometimes-profound novel of teamwork and perseverance.Pub Date: March 15, 2024
ISBN: 9798876550187
Page Count: 335
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Oct. 29, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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 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
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