An unevenly developed romance with a dose of self-discovery.
Macy Descanso knows she can be a great writer, if only someone would just give her a chance.
Seventeen-year-old Macy, who’s the daughter of two successful authors who are both Korean and Black, aspires to write as well. She applied to Penovation, an elite four-week writing retreat in Berkeley, but was only able to get in with her mother’s help. Once she arrives, she’s paired as critique partners with Haitian American Caleb Bernard, who’s also the child of famous authors—ones who have a bitter rivalry with Macy’s parents. Macy, who’s still trying to define herself as a writer, is dismayed when another teen refers to her and Caleb as “nepo babies.” The retreat participants learn that recently deceased romance author Betty Quinn has arranged for five students’ stories to be published in an anthology. Quinn also left behind clues about the whereabouts of her final manuscript. Macy and Caleb embark on a quest of discovery all around the Bay Area during which they also learn more about each other and their families. This is a fast-paced, sometimes poignant, teen romance that centers on a coming-of-age journey to claiming your own identity in the face of external pressures and standards. Unfortunately, the lackluster characterization weakens readers’ investment in the leads. The story concludes with the Penovation reading list, which spans a fun range of recommendations from William Shakespeare and Jane Austen to Elise Bryant and Maurene Goo.
An unevenly developed romance with a dose of self-discovery. (Romance. 12-18)Pub Date: Jan. 21, 2025
ISBN: 9780593565315
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Joy Revolution
Review Posted Online: Sept. 28, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 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
BOOK REVIEW
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
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