A lukewarm work of realism layered with elements of fantasy and mystery.
Once upon a time, there was a girl named Tess who could see the future.
She was very good at pretending she was like everyone else. But one day, the facade crumbled, and everyone stopped talking to her. Her only friend was Tabitha, the most unpopular girl in school. Five years later, life still sucks, but it’s bearable. Tess has Tabitha, their regular viewings of Sixteen Candles, and her spot on the track team. But when frizzy-haired, chubby Tabitha returns from summer vacation with a shiny mane, a thinner body, and previously unattainable popularity, it’s suddenly as though they were never friends. When Tabitha dies, Tess feels intense guilt and shame for not warning her former friend that she dreamed of her coming end, and Tess finds herself at the center of the mystery surrounding Tabitha’s death. A subplot dealing with Tess’ mother’s severe mental illness collides with the primary plot in a satisfying but slightly sappy conclusion. Unfortunately, Tess makes repeated, unchallenged references to her “crazy” mother, undercutting the book’s treatment of the condition. The book is titled after the Thompson Twins’ tune from the end credits of Sixteen Candles, and like most of John Hughes’ films, it seems Yabroff’s novel is mostly devoid of people of color, Tess’ Turkish heritage (the source of her gift) generations distant.
A lukewarm work of realism layered with elements of fantasy and mystery. (Fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Jan. 18, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-5072-0002-5
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Merit Press
Review Posted Online: Nov. 22, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2016
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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