A thoroughly stirring, romantic, and epic conclusion.
Two philosophically distinct rebel groups race to draw Laterre’s citizens to their respective causes before the planet’s highest-ranking military leader can claim the throne for himself.
Three months have passed since the megalomaniac Gen. Bonnefaçon’s plot to weaponize the Third Estate’s implanted tech was thwarted. But because the narrator protagonists and their allies failed to expose the general, his influence has only grown, and the violent Red Scar extremists are unwittingly aiding him by murdering other contenders for the throne. Meanwhile, street-smart Chatine and her long-lost younger brother chafe under the peaceful Vangarde rebels’ security protocols; Marcellus is consumed by the search for Alouette, who’s been revealed as the sole living heir to the planet’s ruling family; and Alouette herself is the general’s captive and is being tortured for rebel intelligence. Themes and events from Les Misérables are seamlessly reimagined in this suspenseful, action-packed space opera. The protagonists grapple with sophisticated questions of destiny, genetics, power, and humanity in the face of widespread desperation and misinformation, leading to an unexpected and pitch-perfect final standoff between the general and civilian rebels. The expansive worldbuilding—after all, Laterre is only one of 12 planets in the System Divine—leaves room for future stories following this trilogy closer. Few physical descriptors are used; primary characters read as White.
A thoroughly stirring, romantic, and epic conclusion. (maps, Book 2 overview, cast list) (Science fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Aug. 3, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-7443-7
Page Count: 720
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 25, 2021
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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