by JJ Strong ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 24, 2017
A gripping, tragic debut novel that will fascinate and trouble sophisticated teen readers
Siblings Ray and Brielle are enthralled when they encounter older, daring misfit Cullen, who attends the same private Catholic school as Ray.
High school sophomore Brielle drifts complacently in the wake of her popular, cookie-cutter friends, while her younger brother, Ray, is brutally bullied at St. John’s, their psychiatrist father’s alma mater. Ray endures this abuse in believable silence, hiding it from his family, especially his chronically depressed mother. It seems likely her illness contributes to his own despairing thoughts, which are underpinned with religious doubt. Told in alternating narrative style by the three teens, this provocative, unsettling story set in the suburbs of New York City in the year after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks plumbs the depths of Ray’s disillusionment as he prevails upon Cullen to help him participate, along with his only friend, caring, self-possessed Amir, in increasingly dangerous criminal acts. Meanwhile, the magnetic romance and sexual experiences Brielle has with Cullen provide a way for her to challenge her parents’ conflict avoidance. Cullen’s home life is also explored, though his buoyant, unflappable exterior plays a bit too heavily into a diamond-in-the-rough stereotype at times. All of the major characters are white except for Amir, whose family is from Saudi Arabia.
A gripping, tragic debut novel that will fascinate and trouble sophisticated teen readers . (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 24, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-448-49417-3
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: July 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
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by Holly Jackson ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 4, 2020
A treat for mystery readers who enjoy being kept in suspense.
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New York Times Bestseller
Everyone believes that Salil Singh killed his girlfriend, Andrea Bell, five years ago—except Pippa Fitz-Amobi.
Pip has known and liked Sal since childhood; he’d supported her when she was being bullied in middle school. For her senior capstone project, Pip researches the disappearance of former Fairview High student Andie, last seen on April 18, 2014, by her younger sister, Becca. The original investigation concluded with most of the evidence pointing to Sal, who was found dead in the woods, apparently by suicide. Andie’s body was never recovered, and Sal was assumed by most to be guilty of abduction and murder. Unable to ignore the gaps in the case, Pip sets out to prove Sal’s innocence, beginning with interviewing his younger brother, Ravi. With his help, Pip digs deeper, unveiling unsavory facts about Andie and the real reason Sal’s friends couldn’t provide him with an alibi. But someone is watching, and Pip may be in more danger than she realizes. Pip’s sleuthing is both impressive and accessible. Online articles about the case and interview transcripts are provided throughout, and Pip’s capstone logs offer insights into her thought processes as new evidence and suspects arise. Jackson’s debut is well-executed and surprises readers with a connective web of interesting characters and motives. Pip and Andie are white, and Sal is of Indian descent.
A treat for mystery readers who enjoy being kept in suspense. (Mystery. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-9848-9636-0
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2019
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BOOK TO SCREEN
by Daniel Aleman ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 4, 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
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