Funny, smart, moving, courageous, and so timely it almost hurts.
In a town seething over an influx of Orthodox Jews, a yeshiva boy falls in love with the mayor’s daughter.
Yehuda “Hoodie” Rosen tells us on Page 1 that his horrible crime ruined his life, humiliated his family, and put him in the ICU—but in some ways, he also thought it was pretty funny. Once you get to know this jokester, you’ll believe it; his sharp awareness of the ironies of life and language illuminate every page of this first-person narrative. Hoodie, his parents, and his “numerous and various” sisters have just moved to Tregaron, a fictional town (cued as being near Philadelphia) where his father is involved with building a high-rise intended to house many more Orthodox families. The community’s outraged opposition to this is spearheaded by the mayor, Monica Diaz-O’Leary, so it’s particularly inconvenient that the first love of Hoodie’s 15-year-old life is her daughter, Anna-Marie—who seems to like him back. But after the two attempt to remove the swastikas that have been spray-painted on Jewish gravestones, Hoodie is ostracized by his community and harshly punished for consorting with a non-Jew. Then antisemitism explodes in a violent, ripped-from-the-headlines incident. Blum’s engrossing debut explains myriad details of Orthodox Jewish faith and includes Hoodie’s questioning of them. Through the brilliant character of Zippy, his wise older sister, Hoodie can see the path to a less constricted but still devout way of living. Anna-Marie's surname cues her ethnic background.
Funny, smart, moving, courageous, and so timely it almost hurts. (Fiction. 12-adult)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-52582-1
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2022
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
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
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