A winning debut: the perfect blend of hilarious and heartfelt.
A gay, British 16-year-old decides that this school year, it’s time to get a boyfriend.
Patrick Simmons has rebranded himself as Patch (“more characterful and mysterious”), taken wisdom from his single mum’s self-help books, and is determined to have a boyfriend before Prom (which is really just an after-party for the Drama Club), all with his incredibly supportive best friend, Jean, by his side. Drama Club is the perfect place to find potential prospects, and although Patch’s mood is soured at first by the arrival of his former-friend-turned-nemesis, Tessa, it perks back up when two new boys, Sam and Peter, join as well. Both seem like good options to Patch at first, but as the club’s production of Sweeney Todd gets underway, Patch’s usual exuberant confidence is shaken by shifting friendships and crushes. Patch’s first-person narration is laugh-out-loud funny, and although he can be self-involved, his big heart shines through, making him an endearing and engaging lead as he learns and grows. The story succeeds as a sweet romance while also subverting expectations and giving equal weight to the importance of friendships in a thoughtful and moving way. This tale is distinctly and charmingly British, yet it's an ode to queer theater kids everywhere—particularly those with big personalities. Main characters present white.
A winning debut: the perfect blend of hilarious and heartfelt. (Romance. 12-18)Pub Date: Jan. 28, 2025
ISBN: 9781250366788
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2024
PERSPECTIVES
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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