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
Exactly what the title promises.
A grieving teen’s devotion to romance films might ruin her chances at actual romance.
Liz Buxbaum has always adored rom-coms, not least for helping her still feel close to her screenwriter mother, who died when she was little. Liz hopes that her senior year might turn into a real-life romantic fantasy, as an old crush has moved back to town, cuter and nicer than ever. Surely she can get Michael to ask her to prom. If only Wes, the annoying boy next door, would help her with her scheming! This charming, fluffy concoction manages to pack into one goofy plot every conceivable trope, from fake dating to the makeover to the big misunderstanding. Creative, quirky, daydreaming Liz is just shy of an annoying stereotype, saved by a dry wit and unresolved grief and anger. Wes makes for a delightful bad boy with a good heart, and supporting characters—including a sassy best friend, a perfect popular rival, even a (not really) evil stepmother—all get the opportunity to transcend their roles. The only villain here is Liz’s lovelorn imagination, provoking her into foolish lies that cause actual hurt feelings; but she is sufficiently self-aware to make amends just in time for the most important trope of all: a blissfully happy ending. All characters seem to be White by default.
Exactly what the title promises. (Romance. 12-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-6762-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK TO SCREEN
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
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