Artfully atmospheric, sensitive, and nuanced.
In this reimagining of The Picture of Dorian Gray, a young transgender noble caged by societal expectations makes a wish that has haunting consequences.
Smothered by the oppressive shadow of her grandfather, 16-year-old Dorian longs for friendship and freedom from the demanding perceptions of others that shape her fragile sense of self. Sheltered from London society, which “has fallen from grace,” Dorian sees glimpses of the outside world only when she sneaks out her window at night. That changes when she meets Basil, a young artist who offers to paint her portrait, and Basil’s friend Henry, a hedonistic and provocative nobleman. Captivated by—and also envious, ashamed, and resentful of—the beauty and ethereal gender ambiguity of the figure in Basil’s portrait, Dorian offers her soul for a reversal of fate, causing the portrait to age so that she can embody its eternal perfection. Dorian doesn’t realize the impact of her wish until her life begins to spiral, and the figure transforms, reflecting every desperate choice Dorian makes in pursuit of freedom as well as her misguided attempts to protect the people she loves. Grenier’s prose aches with immersive melancholy. As a remix, the story acts in conversation with the history of the original work and uses its scaffolding to explore relevant themes of identity, abuse, and trauma. Despite the brooding tone and the heaviness of Dorian’s circumstances, the resolution is meaningfully empathetic. The characters primarily present white.
Artfully atmospheric, sensitive, and nuanced. (author’s note) (Historical paranormal. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 17, 2026
ISBN: 9781250329783
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: Nov. 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2025
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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