A breezy Sapphic story with a fabulous lead.
An 18-year-old actor is determined to prove her worth.
Marisol Polly-Rodriguez, who’s bisexual and Puerto Rican, became famous starring alongside her real-life boyfriend, Miles Zhao, in a high school drama for four years. But when Miles lands a role on prestigious, award-winning television show The Limit, he dumps her, explaining that they’re moving in “different directions.” Wanting to prove she can do serious work, too, Marisol nabs a recurring guest role on The Limit. The caliber of the show isn’t the only change, though. Leaving California, adjusting to life in New York, and moving in with her largely absent dad (a gay man who helped out his friend, Marisol’s mom, by donating sperm when she decided to become a solo parent) is hard enough; work on set is difficult and frustrating for Marisol under a volatile director. Her new co-star, the distractingly attractive, brown-skinned Moroccan American Jamila El-Amrani, quickly becomes her daily bright spot. As their friendship blossoms into something more, and Marisol builds new relationships with family members, she starts to regain her confidence. With influences from Legally Blonde, this lighthearted rom-com features fun peeks into celebrity life—and some valid critiques—while staying grounded in a realistic coming-of-age narrative. The romance is sweet, but there’s little development or tension until the third act; the plot is propelled more by Marisol’s inner growth, which is ultimately rewarding. Secondary characters are largely one-note, but big-hearted, exuberant Marisol shines.
A breezy Sapphic story with a fabulous lead. (Fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Aug. 12, 2025
ISBN: 9780593900529
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Joy Revolution
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
A book that seamlessly brings readers along on a journey of impact and empowerment.
A manifesto for budding feminists.
At the core of this engaging novel are besties Chelsea, who is Irish- and Italian-American and into fashion and beauty, and Jasmine, who is African-American, loves the theater, and pushes back against bias around size (“I don’t need your fake compliments, your pity. I know I’m beautiful. Inside and out”). They and their sidekicks, half-Japanese/half-Lebanese Nadine and Puerto Rican Isaac, grow into first-class activists—simultaneously educating their peers and readers. The year gets off to a rocky start at their progressive, social justice–oriented New York City high school: Along with the usual angst many students experience, Jasmine’s father is terminally ill with cancer, and after things go badly in both their clubs, Jasmine and Chelsea form a women’s rights club which becomes the catalyst for their growth as they explore gender inequality and opportunities for change. This is an inspiring look at two strong-willed teens growing into even stronger young women ready to use their voices and take on the world, imploring budding feminists everywhere to “join the revolution.” The book offers a poetic balance of dialogue among the main characters, their peers, and the adults in their lives. The exquisite pacing, which intersperses everyday teen conflicts with weightier issues, demonstrates how teens long to be heard and taken seriously.
A book that seamlessly brings readers along on a journey of impact and empowerment. (resources for young activists, endnotes) (Fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Feb. 12, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0008-3
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2019
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