Buoyed by strong, likable characters and superb writing, this coming-of-age tale cuts to the core.
Two teens—an unlucky boy scraping by, a starry-eyed girl with big plans—cross trajectories in Gurley’s (Greatfall, 2018, etc.) utterly sincere YA debut.
It’s senior year in Orilla del Cielo, a California coastal town. Zachary, a gangly, artistic, white teen with a bleak outlook on life, doesn’t see the point in applying for college. After all, he’s convinced he’ll end up on the same soul-crushing dead-end path as his older brother and deceased father. The novel’s other narratorial voice belongs to Vanessa, an affluent quarter-Japanese and (presumably) three-quarters–white teen who dreams of getting into Cornell to follow in the footsteps of her idol, astronomer Carl Sagan. Her animosity toward her father, who abandoned Vanessa and her mom, fuels her ambitions; her friendly rivalry with best friend Cece Vasquez (Latinx and queer) does the same. Momentous fate brings Vanessa and Zach together. Convinced of his artistic worth, she tries to help set him on a college-oriented track while he strains to spare her from his poverty-induced burdens. As the two get closer, conflicting forces pull them apart, derailing whatever plans—good or bad—they thought they had. Incisive, wholehearted dialogue and lovely prose fill the novel, an exploration of an adolescent relationship that’s equal parts sweet and unlikely. Blossoming romance eventually encounters tragedies big and small, spiraling into a surprisingly suspenseful ending.
Buoyed by strong, likable characters and superb writing, this coming-of-age tale cuts to the core. (Realistic fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Feb. 12, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-250-14183-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Nov. 24, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2018
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
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
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