by Helen Landalf ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 19, 2011
For teens who want a realistic story but not the heft and extreme grittiness of Ellen Hopkins.
Sometimes the way to help others begins with helping yourself.
After her nightclub-dancer mom disappears from their Seattle apartment in this short, compelling debut, 15-year-old Stevie (named for the Fleetwood Mac singer) moves in with her Aunt Mindy for the summer rather than face child protective services. She struggles with her allegiance to her mother, whom she discovers has a crystal meth addiction, and Aunt Mindy, a tidy, nurturing yoga instructor. Also at odds are her feelings for “the Professor,” a smart fellow student she’s been crushing on, and Alan, a dropout who’s been in and out of foster homes all his life and is now finding his way as an assistant at a bird-rescue center. Because of the story’s length, some characters never fully develop, and resolutions come too quickly. So when Stevie catches the previously straightlaced Professor dabbling in drugs like a pro and she takes interest in an injured robin, it’s no surprise that she starts a relationship with Alan. But the birds serve a narrative purpose, symbolizing Stevie’s need for healing and to take flight away from her abusive home life. When her mother returns from an interrupted stint in rehab, she must decide who is part of her healing process.
For teens who want a realistic story but not the heft and extreme grittiness of Ellen Hopkins. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Dec. 19, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-51973-9
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: Oct. 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2011
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by Lauren Roberts ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 7, 2023
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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by Daniel Aleman ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 4, 2021
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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