A deep and affirming exploration of the inevitability of change.
During a storm, two high school seniors find themselves in a magical place of safety for queer teens on the run.
Lost in the woods, Cal Quick (a white, nonbinary teen) and their girlfriend, Ramona Silva (a Brazilian American lesbian), run through the rain and lightning. It’s a fitting end to a prom night that turned into a disaster after Ramona publicly announced that she’d gathered donations to help Cal pay for Alcott, the women’s college the pair planned to attend together until Cal’s parents disowned them. As they race through the downpour, Cal wishes desperately for more time to sort out their feelings about their gender—and to tell Ramona the truth. Out of nowhere, a light appears from a farmhouse in a clearing. At first, Ramona and Cal plan to stay only until the rain stops, but they soon discover they’re no longer in Indiana or in the year 2026. The house, in the land of Amaranth, is a haven for queer teens from different decades. Through careful plotting and precise, vivid prose that has an emotional impact, St. Jude shares the stories of a diverse, dynamic cast of characters who find comfort and family in one another amid grief. The romantic arcs embrace complexity and validate young love, while offering vital reminders of the reality that not every romance lasts forever. The resolution is a tender and satisfying release.
A deep and affirming exploration of the inevitability of change. (author’s note) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2026
ISBN: 9781547611409
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: April 6, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2026
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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