An often moving portrait of brotherly love.
Two brothers began a cross-country journey to find their lost mother in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic in Marcus’ YA novel.
Wolfgang and Van Gogh are uncommonly close siblings. Narrator Wolfgang is a bookish 14-year-old, shy and reserved, while 16-year-old Van Gogh is a born leader, self-assured and deeply protective. After finding their father dead from Covid-19, Van Gogh ushers Wolfgang into an urgent, cross-country trip to find their mother who left them, for unknown reasons, many years ago. Van Gogh is afraid that the pair will end up separated in foster care, so he shows an iron resolve as he compels his brother forward. When Van Gogh saves Wolfgang from an attempted gas-station robbery, however, the resulting viral video gets the attention of authorities, even after Van Gogh has the insight to throw their phones away to avoid detection. The opening chapters progress at an almost implausibly brisk pace, but the narrative stabilizes once the brothers settle into their road trip. Throughout, Marcus peppers the story with details from the boys’ youth as they struggle to get along with their deeply conservative father who shares few of their values; at one point, she notably recounts the tragic story of the White father’s racist intolerance of Van Gogh’s Black girlfriend, Janelle, which caused a permanent rift in the family. In such rare moments, readers see compelling accounts of the dynamics of the siblings’ family. Throughout their journey, they also try to piece together the mysteries of their mother’s life from keepsakes and letters from a box she left behind; these moments account for most of the novel’s most memorable passages. The story also presents aspects of the Covid-19 pandemic with care and clarity. As the brothers’ quest bring them closer to their mom’s last known address, an unexpected obstacle makes their futures even more uncertain. All Wolfgang can do is hold firm to the only memory of his mother he has—her mantra to “breathe deep and swim.”
An often moving portrait of brotherly love.Pub Date: April 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-64704-313-1
Page Count: 158
Publisher: Bublish, Incorporated
Review Posted Online: June 16, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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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