The author of Sex Education (1988) returns with another fine novel about teenagers dealing with a tragedy not of their making. Cab (born in a taxi) and her older brother Bill are thrust into a summer in Pittsburgh while their newly married mother tours Europe with her concert-pianist husband. Bill is in college; Cab will help Grandmother run the neighborhood cafe in Washco, where Mom grew up. Washco is dauntingly changed, an urban area marred by graffiti and boarded windows; still, it's a caring community where Cab soon knows the regulars at the cafe, makes a close friend her own age, and joins a multigenerational writing group at the library. Meanwhile, Bill falls in love—innocently, deeply—with lovely Jessica, a classmate. But Washco isn't safe: an elderly neighbor is injured in a robbery; then, going home from her night job, Jessica is brutally raped. Strongest here are the warmly developed, wholly believable characters and Davis's wise choice of Cab as narrator, which keeps the details of Jessica and Bill's ordeal offstage but still allows Davis to evoke their almost unbearable pain—especially since Bill and Cab have an unusually close, empathetic relationship. Since the rapist is not described and remains unknown, the focus is not on vengeance but on the difficult task of personal healing—rendered with sensitivity and skill—and on the community's constructive efforts at future prevention and political action—inspiring but somewhat less likely. A gripping, beautifully written novel. (Fiction. 11+)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1991
ISBN: 0-531-05960-X
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Orchard
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1991
BOOK REVIEW
Fast-moving and intriguing though inconsistent on multiple fronts.
Kids endure rigorous competition aboard a spaceship.
When Babel Communications invites 10 teens to participate in “the most serious space exploration known to mankind,” Emmett signs on. Surely it’s the jackpot: they’ll each receive $50,000 every month for life, and Emmett’s mother will get a kidney transplant, otherwise impossible for poor people. They head through space toward the planet Eden, where they’ll mine a substance called nyxia, “the new black gold.” En route, the corporation forces them into brutal competition with one another—fighting, running through violent virtual reality racecourses, and manipulating nyxia, which can become almost anything. It even forms language-translating facemasks, allowing Emmett, a black boy from Detroit, to communicate with competitors from other countries. Emmett's initial understanding of his own blackness may throw readers off, but a black protagonist in outer space is welcome. Awkward moments in the smattering of black vernacular are rare. Textual descriptions can be scanty; however, copious action and a reality TV atmosphere (the scoreboard shows regularly) make the pace flow. Emmett’s first-person voice is immediate and innocent: he realizes that Babel’s ruthless and coldblooded but doesn’t apply that to his understanding of what’s really going on. Readers will guess more than he does, though most confirmation waits for the next installment—this ends on a cliffhanger.
Fast-moving and intriguing though inconsistent on multiple fronts. (Science fiction. 12-16)Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-399-55679-1
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A warmly entertaining story at the nexus of teen relationships and activism.
An African American teen activist is drawn to a young man she meets accidentally.
Marva Sheridan was passionate about politics long before she was able to vote herself. It was not enough to anticipate voting for the first time, she’s also worked to make sure that others did so as well. When she witnesses Duke Crenshaw, another teen, being turned away on Election Day, she springs into action. The two spend the day together as Duke attempts to work out his registration issues and get to his drumming gig. As they get to know each other, bits of their stories are shared: Marva’s tensions with Alec, her White boyfriend who has decided not to vote, and Duke’s family, who is still trying to cope following the death of his older brother. Duke’s White mother and Black father have divorced, and both parents are extremely protective of him and his younger sister. In addition, Marva’s cat Selma, an internet star known as Eartha Kitty, has gone missing. Colbert skillfully manages both serious and playful elements throughout the novel. Marva has an infectious personality, and her politics and identity are realistically portrayed. Duke’s grief, still raw, is palpable and will engage readers’ empathy. The chapters feature alternating first-person narration, giving the novel an intimate feel. Secondary characters add rich texture to and understanding of the primary characters.
A warmly entertaining story at the nexus of teen relationships and activism. (Fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: July 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-368-05329-7
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 1, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2020
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