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COVERUP

Name: COVERUP
Author: Jay Bennett
ISBN: 0-531-15224-3

by Jay Bennett ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 1991

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When Alden Whitlock, drunken son of a prominent local figure, kills a homeless man, the hit-and-run accident is quickly hushed up. Brad, who had been a semi-comatose passenger in the car, wakes up next morning with vague, disturbing memories—but Alden, Judge Whitlock, and all his friends earnestly assure him that nothing happened. Bennett's plot is painfully contrived—Brad returns to what he thinks is the scene of the crime and finds it swept clean except for a bloodstained pocket-watch with the engraved initials ``P.M.H.''; shortly thereafter, a young woman named Ellen Hanson arrives from out of town with solid evidence that her homeless father Paul had been in the area. Romance blooms as she forces Brad to come clean, but she leaves in disgust when no one else will talk. Amid much talk of responsibility and perspective, Brad confronts Alden and his father; but it's Alden's mother who finally blows the whistle out of concern for her son's conscience. Bennett's use of repetition, inch-long sentences and monosyllabic dialogue make his writing accessible for reluctant readers; still, compared to Strasser's The Accident (1988), both plot and themes here seem raw and undeveloped. (Fiction. YA)

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1991

ISBN: 0-531-15224-3

Page Count: 144

Publisher: N/A

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1991

Categories:

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES

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SOME MISTAKES WERE MADE

by Kristin Dwyer ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 10, 2022

A powerful tale of found family and first love.

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After a year away, Ellis returns home to confront her past.

Graduating from high school far from everything familiar was not part of Ellis Truman’s original plans, but she nevertheless ended up spending her senior year with her aunt in California. In Indiana, Ellis practically grew up with the Albrey family and their three tightknit sons, Dixon, Tucker, and Easton. Now, Tucker wants her to return home for matriarch Sandry Albrey’s 50th birthday celebration on the Fourth of July—but Ellis is dreading seeing Easton, as they haven’t talked since she left. Chapters alternate between past and present, and much of the story unravels slowly: How did she come to live with the Albreys? What caused Ellis to then end up in San Diego? What happened in her relationship with Easton? Patient readers will find the heartfelt tension pays off. With her father in and out of jail and an absent mother, socio-economic differences separating Ellis from the middle-class Albreys don’t go unnoticed, and Ellis’ down-to-earth journey shows how she unpacks her feelings about her relationship with her parents. The slow-build romance is swoonworthy, and young adult fans of Colleen Hoover seeking emotional devastation and unforgettable characters will find much to enjoy here. Characters read as White.

A powerful tale of found family and first love. (Fiction. 14-18)

Pub Date: May 10, 2022

ISBN: 978-0-06-308853-5

Page Count: 384

Publisher: HarperTeen

Review Posted Online: Jan. 10, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2022

Categories:

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT ROMANCE | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT FICTION

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TWILIGHT

From the Twilight series , Vol. 1

by Stephenie Meyer ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2005

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Sun-loving Bella meets her demon lover in a vampire tale strongly reminiscent of Robin McKinley’s Sunshine. When Bella moves to rainy Forks, Wash., to live with her father, she just wants to fit in without drawing any attention. Unfortunately, she’s drawn the eye of aloof, gorgeous and wealthy classmate Edward. His behavior toward Bella wavers wildly between apparent distaste and seductive flirtation. Bella learns Edward’s appalling (and appealing) secret: He and his family are vampires. Though Edward nobly warns Bella away, she ignores the human boys who court her and chooses her vampiric suitor. An all-vampire baseball game in a late-night thunderstorm—an amusing gothic take on American family togetherness that balances some of the tale’s romantic excesses—draws Bella and her loved ones into terrible danger. This is far from perfect: Edward’s portrayal as monstrous tragic hero is overly Byronic, and Bella’s appeal is based on magic rather than character. Nonetheless, the portrayal of dangerous lovers hits the spot; fans of dark romance will find it hard to resist. (Fantasy. YA)