A reluctant reader series featuring moral decisions and mysterious twists.
A teenage boy gets a do-over that may save both himself and his friends from a terrible car accident.
When Daniel’s friends invite him to a house party, he initially refuses, pointing to the obvious fact that two of them are unlicensed and the third has only a probationary license. But with a long summer full of nothing but boring driver’s education in front of him, he finally caves. Despite his friend Charlie’s antics behind the wheel, they arrive safely only to find the party overrun by police. They decide to head home, but tension is high, and Charlie is distracted, landing them in a ditch. When a mysterious text message arrives, offering Daniel the chance to make different decisions, he jumps on it. In The Prank by Jeffrey Pratt, four friends go after a school administrator, using their anonymous blog to spread outrageous rumors. The Lie by Glasko Klein features two friends with differing abilities on the tennis court. Each must decide whether friendship or winning is more important. The Game by Elizabeth Neal features two benchwarmers who finally get a chance to enter the game only to find that a single shot might drive them apart. Each title in the series features a teen facing a moral dilemma who goes the wrong way. Consequences are real: a broken relationship, a car accident, and a wrongful investigation. Each teen receives a text giving them a second chance, but doing the right thing comes with its own set of consequences. Only The Game features any diversity, but even then it is never directly stated, only hinted at with names. The premise is appealing and the pacing brisk, although the plots are overly convoluted.
A reluctant reader series featuring moral decisions and mysterious twists. (Fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5415-4029-3
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Darby Creek
Review Posted Online: Nov. 20, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2018
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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