A thought-provoking, entertaining read, Wang’s debut illustrates a future that is easily conceivable.
A fresh take on a tired high school trope.
Living in a technologically advanced near-future Brooklyn, 17-year-old Kyla Cheng, better known as Kyle, has it all: top grades, popularity, three fabulous best friends, and the attention of Mackenzie Rodriguez. But in one click, she risks losing everything when a video of her and her English teacher having sex surfaces. Even though Kyle knows the video is fake, no one else seems to believe her. As the views reach astronomical heights and Kyle ascends to internet infamy, her only option is to figure out how to take down the video—with or without the help of her friends. A key player in this mystery is the pervasive nature of technology and social media, which has boomed to encompass all aspects of life in the future. Wang brilliantly balances the complexity of lives lived online, teenage relationships and insecurities, and the double standard of slut shaming. In this world, and reflecting demographic projections, most people are multiracial, a fact which is sometimes strangely emphasized. A classmate who has two white parents is mockingly styled “Aryan Audra”; Kyle herself is half Chinese, half French.
A thought-provoking, entertaining read, Wang’s debut illustrates a future that is easily conceivable. (Science fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: April 11, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4847-5742-0
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Freeform/Disney
Review Posted Online: Feb. 13, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
A strongly plotted romantic comedy with plenty of well-structured, pitch-perfect drama to dig into.
A travel disaster turns into an unexpected adventure in this swoony romantic comedy.
Darcy Milligan is on her way back home to Los Angeles from the Silverspun Music Festival (“the Coachella of Nevada!”). Her phone is dying, and when the bus breaks down, she ends up stranded near the scenic (but desolate and remote) town of Jesse, a couple of hours north of Las Vegas. Enter Russell Henrion, a young man with whom she has a tension-filled, love-at-first-sight moment. He’s an adorable and awkward aspiring musical theater writer who will soon be starting a BFA at the University of Michigan. He also needs to charge his phone. As Darcy and Russell wait for the next morning’s replacement bus, they undertake an emotional journey that’s much more complicated than either of them anticipated. Readers will appreciate how Darcy and Russell’s relationship captures the essence of a dreamy whirlwind romance while addressing the realities of awkward, in-person dating that people who spend so much time online often experience. The quippy dialogue, hilarious jokes, and corny but juicy chemistry will delight those looking for something steamy without explicit on-page sex. Matson has mastered the art of the gradual reveal; she also weaves the transition to college, navigating parental expectations, and explorations of privilege into the story. The main characters read white.
A strongly plotted romantic comedy with plenty of well-structured, pitch-perfect drama to dig into. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: May 7, 2024
ISBN: 9781481499019
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2024
Quite possibly the best teen novel featuring a girl questioning her sexuality written in years.
Big-town girl stuck in a small-town world full of lies falls for another girl.
Astrid's parents moved both her and her sister away from their New York City home years ago to a small town symbolically called Unity Valley. Since then her mom has drunk the society Kool-Aid, and her dad takes mental vacations in the garage to smoke weed. Astrid doesn't feel like she fits in anywhere. Two friends keep her sane: her closeted BFF, Kristina, and Dee, a star hockey player she met while working for a local catering company. Sparks fly between Astrid and Dee, causing Astrid to feel even more distanced and confused. Meanwhile, Kristina and her boyfriend/beard Justin use Astrid as cover for their own same-sex sweethearts, adding more fuel to the fire. King has created an intense, fast-paced, complex and compelling novel about sexuality, politics and societal norms that will force readers outside their comfort zones. The whole town—even the alleged gay characters—buy into the Stepford-like ideal, and King elegantly uses Plato’s "Allegory of the Cave" to help readers understand life inside and outside of the box. Only Astrid knows what she wants. She’s in love with Dee, but she's not sure if she’s a lesbian. She’s ignoring all of the labels and focusing on what she feels.
Quite possibly the best teen novel featuring a girl questioning her sexuality written in years. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: Oct. 23, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-316-19468-6
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 14, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2012
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