Readers who make it to the end will cheer Charlie's survival, but they'll also be glad to get out of his company.
It doesn't take readers long to wonder whether there is any upside to being Charlie.
His apparently bipolar mother has taken off—again; his father, who pretends there's nothing wrong, seems to be having an affair; and he's stuck sharing a locker with Tanya Bate, the school pariah. He does have a loyal friend, Rat Pack–wannabe Ahmed, a newly svelte figure courtesy of fat camp and, perhaps, the interest of cute new girl Charlotte. But these positives barely register in his self-hating, depressive narration. And, really, his life does kind of suck. Aside from everything else, he’s not the only kid pursuing Charlotte; sadistic bully Mark is also interested in her, and he takes special pleasure in grinding Charlie down. As Charlie sinks further into depression, he begins to binge and purge in a futile attempt at coping. There is much to recommend this novel—not least because it addresses male body image and eating disorders—but it just doesn't hold together. Charlotte's character development is particularly uneven; she often comes across as unendurably shallow, making Charlie's persistent attraction to her baffling. And Ahmed, Turkish-American for no apparent narrative reason beyond his mother's baklava, is utterly unbelievable, if immensely appealing.
Readers who make it to the end will cheer Charlie's survival, but they'll also be glad to get out of his company. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: June 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-7624-4401-4
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Running Press Teens
Review Posted Online: March 27, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2012
Ideal for readers seeking perspectives on war, with a heavy dash of romance and touch of fantasy.
A war between gods plays havoc with mortals and their everyday lives.
In a time of typewriters and steam engines, Iris Winnow awaits word from her older brother, who has enlisted on the side of Enva the Skyward goddess. Alcohol abuse led to her mother’s losing her job, and Iris has dropped out of school and found work utilizing her writing skills at the Oath Gazette. Hiding the stress of her home issues behind a brave face, Iris competes for valuable assignments that may one day earn her the coveted columnist position. Her rival for the job is handsome and wealthy Roman Kitt, whose prose entrances her so much she avoids reading his articles. At home, she writes cathartic letters to her brother, never posting them but instead placing them in her wardrobe, where they vanish overnight. One day Iris receives a reply, which, along with other events, pushes her to make dramatic life decisions. Magic plays a quiet role in this story, and readers may for a time forget there is anything supernatural going on. This is more of a wartime tale of broken families, inspired youths, and higher powers using people as pawns. It flirts with clichéd tropes but also takes some startling turns. Main characters are assumed White; same-sex marriages and gender equality at the warfront appear to be the norm in this world.
Ideal for readers seeking perspectives on war, with a heavy dash of romance and touch of fantasy. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: April 4, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-250-85743-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2023
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
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
bookshelf
