A delightful, swoony, Sapphic romp that will have readers racing to the finish line.
Two ex-best friends fake a romantic relationship for a reality show.
Noelle Breland and Yumi Panganiban have been best friends since fourth grade—or at least, they were best friends until an awkward kiss ended everything. In the year since, the two haven’t spoken and Noelle, who reads white and has ADHD, has been busy grappling with her father’s liver failure. Then the two recent high school graduates are offered a last-minute spot on their favorite reality show, The Adventureverse, in which contestants race around the world (think The Amazing Race). Noelle sees the prize money as an opportunity to help pay off her dad’s medical expenses. With some groveling, she convinces Yumi, who’s Filipino American, to join her on the show despite their estrangement—Yumi agrees, but only “for Papa Breland.” The catch? It’s an all-couples season, and they’ll have to pretend to be girlfriends. As the two travel from country to country, completing challenges along the way while pretending to be a couple, they can’t deny their growing feelings for each other. With the finish line getting closer, Noelle begins to wonder what will happen when the camera stops rolling. The quick pace and the palpable chemistry between Noelle and Yumi will keep readers turning the pages. A fascinating, subtle critique of the reality television industry adds a layer of nuance to the banter-filled rom-com.
A delightful, swoony, Sapphic romp that will have readers racing to the finish line. (author’s note, pronunciation guide) (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: June 23, 2026
ISBN: 9780593622735
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: March 23, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2026
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
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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