A beautifully written, grief-filled tale that’s equal parts creepy and heart-wrenching.
Women in Soojin Han’s family can raise the dead.
Korean American Soojin and her sister, Mirae, have typically used their powers to revive roadkill or (on multiple occasions) their family’s beloved pet rat; their mother warned her young daughters against raising humans, citing a tragic example from an ancestor who broke the rules. Seven years ago, Soojin and Mirae’s mother was killed in a car crash, and their bereaved father was emotionally unequipped to handle 10-year-old Soojin and 11-year-old Mirae, leaving parentified Mirae to take care of her sister. But now that Mirae has suddenly died as well in a drowning accident, Soojin decides bringing her back is worth the risk. Soojin is too thrilled to be reunited with her sister to notice the disturbing hints that something isn’t quite right, from the mildewy rot Mirae leaves in her wake to the dark bruises appearing on Soojin’s own skin and the mysterious attacks on some of the town’s powerful residents. In her debut novel, Yun uses foreshadowing and alternating third-person limited perspectives to great effect, slowly unfolding mysteries from Soojin’s mother’s past through poetic, descriptive prose that never feels overwrought. The girls live in the predominantly white coastal tourist town of Jade Acre, which evokes Northern California. Korean language, food, and culture enrich this winning story of sisterhood, self-reflection, and moving on.
A beautifully written, grief-filled tale that’s equal parts creepy and heart-wrenching. (Horror. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9780593904879
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: June 13, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2025
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters.
When star hockey player Alec Barczewski’s estranged childhood friend, Dani Collins, moves to town, they end up in a mutually beneficial fake-dating relationship that reignites old feelings.
Following her parents’ divorce, Dani and her mom move in with Dani’s hockey legend grandfather in Southview, Minnesota, where she spent a month every summer as a child and where her friendship with Alec grew. Between visits, the two were pen pals, but they eventually fell out of touch. Despite some tensions over their loss of friendship, the high school seniors reconnect. Desperate to get off Harvard’s waitlist, Dani needs another extracurricular activity, while Alec—whose reputation took a hit when a photo of him holding a bong appeared on social media—is eager to improve his tarnished image for NHL scouts. The pair strike a deal: They’ll fake date, making Alec look like a stable guy whose academically gifted girlfriend is related to hockey royalty, and in exchange, he’ll get Dani a team manager position that will catch the eye of Harvard’s admissions officers. Eventually, complicated feelings about their past, stressful family relationships, and their brewing romance boil over. Romance fans will love the deliciously tension-filled scenes between Alec and Dani, who are believable friends with heavy demands weighing on them. They feel like real teenagers, and readers will enjoy rooting for them as the well-paced story unfolds. Main characters present white.
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2025
ISBN: 9781665921268
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
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
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