A fast-paced, offbeat LGBTQ+ love story.
A lesbian teen has to learn the hard way that an expected happily-ever-after ending may not come to pass in this coming-of-age novel.
Teenage Andie has always loved Ivy Harlowe. The two have been best friends for years, and even though Ivy, who’s also gay, never showed any romantic interest in her, Andie just assumed they would someday end up together—that if she just waited long enough, Ivy would realize that she’d always been there for her. That’s how it works in the romance novels she reads, anyway. One night, when the girls are at their usual club, Ivy hooks up with a bisexual stranger, which isn’t unusual. But then that stranger, Dot, starts hanging around—visiting Ivy, coming by for dinner. Andie knows how Ivy works, and she never lets a one-night stand hang around for additional nights. If that wasn’t enough for Andie to deal with, the strip club that her family owns may have to shut down, and Elizabeth, a gorgeous older woman, starts to show some unexpected interest in her. For the first time, Andie has no idea what might lie in her future—and she’s unsure how to handle it. Moskowitz’s novel is an unusual love story in that it’s more about loving oneself than another person. The brisk book features a diverse cast of various ethnicities, sexual orientations, and living arrangements; Andie’s friends Melody and Diana are together and in love and also in an open relationship. Ivy could very easily have come across as a villain in a story like this, as she doesn’t love Andie the way that Andie wants; however, the author does a fantastic job of making all of the major characters relatable and difficult to dislike. The book, though published by a YA imprint, definitely has more of a new-adult vibe, and the frank sexual discussion may not be suitable for younger teens.
A fast-paced, offbeat LGBTQ+ love story.Pub Date: June 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-64-937049-5
Page Count: 330
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Review Posted Online: June 4, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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 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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