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JACKED UP

An impressive debut novel that entertains while encouraging the questioning of all assumptions.

Nick’s lesbian sister, Diana, is dead and his parents are sending him to a weeklong “Jesus camp” at the suggestion of his homophobic, evangelical sister, Charlotte.

The 15-year-old narrates his tale with humor, cynicism, and self-deprecation. A self-proclaimed grammar aficionado—who even publicly corrects a pastor—his language abounds with colloquialisms. However, from the moment he is forced to exchange his grammar-nerd T-shirt for one proclaiming, “Happiness Happens Here!” readers empathize with his plight. The portrayal of camp is farcical and hilarious, with counselors dressing as people from the Bible, including a prostitute, an apostle, disciples, and an adulteress, and campers literally dragging around crosses for rule infractions. Typical summer camp activities and teenage angst are skillfully woven into Nick’s journey, which begins with grief and a guilty secret. The stakes grow higher when a box containing campers’ and counselors’ private confessions—including Nick’s—goes missing and Nick is suspected. As he attempts to find the box and its thief, Nick enjoys witty repartee and serious conversations with fellow camper Natalie, “the prettycute Bandana Girl.” The novel’s title refers to another noteworthy quirk in this original story: Nick sees, hears, and converses with 1950s Beat Generation author Jack Kerouac, beloved by his late sister, who first appeared to him following her funeral. Major characters follow a white default.

An impressive debut novel that entertains while encouraging the questioning of all assumptions. (Fiction. 14-18)

Pub Date: June 5, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-5107-3005-2

Page Count: 272

Publisher: Sky Pony Press

Review Posted Online: March 19, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2018

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INDIVISIBLE

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

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POWERLESS

From the Powerless Trilogy series , Vol. 1

A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.

The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.

Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.

A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)

Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023

ISBN: 9798987380406

Page Count: 538

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023

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