A sweet, whirlwind summer romance.
An 18-year-old lies his way through a summer romance, but little does he know that the girl he likes is lying, too.
John Paul “JP” Reyes is trying to cope following his father’s sudden death and his forced move from Queens to Manhattan, where he’s living with Tita Dali and Tito Alvin, his wealthy maternal aunt and uncle. Now they’re going on a family vacation to a fancy resort in the mountains, where he’s supposed to see his mom, a traveling nurse who’s rarely around. JP meets resort employee Mia Malik and decides to try to impress her by pretending to be “new-school JP. Cool, smooth, rich.” Mia is trying to earn money to escape to California for a photography program. So when another staff member, who insists the rich guests don’t see the staff as real people, dares her to get a guest to fall in love with her by the end of the week—in exchange for his tip money—Mia takes the bet and sets her sights on JP. The lies between them flow easily, but there’s truth in the emotions behind their interactions. As their feelings deepen, neither teen believes they can reveal the truth without ruining everything. Told from both JP’s and Mia’s points of view, this romantic comedy filled with fun summertime antics moves quickly but also deals with heavy topics, including grief, poverty, and addiction. JP is Filipino American, and Mia is white and Assyrian American.
A sweet, whirlwind summer romance. (Romance. 13-18)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9781547614950
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: April 19, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 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 sweet if muddled tale of the magic of Appalachia.
A teenage witch goes up against the evil king of the mountain to save a cursed village.
Witch-in-training Verity Vox has spent a year apiece in different villages, helping in any way she can as she learns her art. When it’s time to move on, she receives a sign that shows her where to go next. When the latest sign appears in the form of a note begging for help that floats down on a leaf, she’s eager for the challenge. Verity winds up in Foxfire, a village in the Appalachian mountains that’s been magically cut off from the rest of the world for years, leaving its people close to starvation. The root of their suffering is a man they know as Earl, who lives in the hills and strikes deals with the townspeople that ultimately cause crops to wither, folks to disappear, and the only bridge out of the valley to crumble. Verity is determined to change the villagers’ fortunes, but to do so she’ll have to face off against not just Earl but the ancient power of the mountains itself. Loosely based on the Germanic Erlking legend and told in a voice reminiscent of folktales, the story features a queer romance and a cast that presents white. The convoluted magic system undercuts the strong themes of reciprocity, poverty, and privilege, but Appalachian readers will instantly recognize home.
A sweet if muddled tale of the magic of Appalachia. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Aug. 5, 2025
ISBN: 9798890032706
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Page Street
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
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