A high school fairy tale perfect for those who love second chances and happy endings.
Debut YA romance following a nerd on the road to prom queen.
Superstar high school student Ariella Winters is laser-focused on her future. She has ignored her social life in favor of finishing her high school credits early and even completing some college-level course work. A teacher at her private school devises a special project for Ariella and the few other high achievers at her school. Each student must attend a local public school for six months and tackle one nonacademic weakness. Ariella is assigned socializing—or, more specifically, popularity. As an introvert and social curmudgeon, Ariella must infiltrate the popular crowd at her new school and learn something in the process. Although she attempts to wriggle out of the assignment, her bubbly best friend, Flora, and Ariella’s aunt (her temporary guardian) find the experiment a wonderful idea. With only one weekend to prepare for her new life, Ariella allows Flora to drag her to the mall for a much-needed makeover. A new hairstyle, contact lenses, and several shopping bags later, Ariella is an insta-hottie. When she begins at her new school, she has a secret weapon (besides her new crop top and surprisingly killer abs): the son of the principal, who happens to be a junior class alpha male, has been enlisted to bring Ariella into the fold. In no time at all, the boys are tripping over themselves to impress Ariella, especially superjock and resident heartthrob Ashton Walker. Ariella spends time with Ashton, for the sake of her project, of course. Before long, she discovers some of Ashton’s secrets and begins to understand that popular kids are real people. Maybe Ariella still has something left to learn after all. Although the story requires a suspension of disbelief with regard to many of the logistics, it’s absorbing from the start. As narrator, Ariella is engaging and endearing as she tackles many universal teen issues with wisdom and grace. Other characters are more complex than they initially appear, and the book’s fast pace and modern language make it a winning choice for teenage romance fans.
A high school fairy tale perfect for those who love second chances and happy endings.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Review Posted Online: May 1, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.
A fifth-grade New Orleans girl discovers a mysterious chrysalis containing an unexpected creature in this middle-grade novel.
Jacquelyn Marie Johnson, called Jackie, is a 10-year-old African-American girl, the second oldest and the only girl of six siblings. She’s responsible, smart, and enjoys being in charge; she likes “paper dolls and long division and imagining things she had never seen.” Normally, Jackie has no trouble obeying her strict but loving parents. But when her potted snapdragon acquires a peculiar egg or maybe a chrysalis (she dubs it a chrysalegg), Jackie’s strong desire to protect it runs up against her mother’s rule against plants in the house. Jackie doesn’t exactly mean to lie, but she tells her mother she needs to keep the snapdragon in her room for a science project and gets permission. Jackie draws the chrysalegg daily, waiting for something to happen as it gets larger. When the amazing creature inside breaks free, Jackie is more determined than ever to protect it, but this leads her further into secrets and lies. The results when her parents find out are painful, and resolving the problem will take courage, honesty, and trust. Dumas (Jaden Toussaint, the Greatest: Episode 5, 2017, etc.) presents a very likable character in Jackie. At 10, she’s young enough to enjoy playing with paper dolls but has a maturity that even older kids can lack. She’s resourceful, as when she wants to measure a red spot on the chrysalegg; lacking calipers, she fashions one from her hairpin. Jackie’s inward struggle about what to obey—her dearest wishes or the parents she loves—is one many readers will understand. The book complicates this question by making Jackie’s parents, especially her mother, strict (as one might expect to keep order in a large family) but undeniably loving and protective as well—it’s not just a question of outwitting clueless adults. Jackie’s feelings about the creature (tender and responsible but also more than a little obsessive) are similarly shaded rather than black-and-white. The ending suggests that an intriguing sequel is to come.
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943169-32-0
Page Count: 212
Publisher: Plum Street Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.
In the ninth book in the Bluford young-adult series, a young Latino man walks away from violence—but at great personal cost.
In a large Southern California city, 16-year-old Martin Luna hangs out on the fringes of gang life. He’s disaffected, fatherless and increasingly drawn into the orbit of the older, rougher Frankie. When a stray bullet kills Martin’s adored 8-year-old brother, Huero, Martin seems to be heading into a life of crime. But Martin’s mother, determined not to lose another son, moves him to another neighborhood—the fictional town of Bluford, where he attends the racially diverse Bluford High. At his new school, the still-grieving Martin quickly makes enemies and gets into trouble. But he also makes friends with a kind English teacher and catches the eye of Vicky, a smart, pretty and outgoing Bluford student. Martin’s first-person narration supplies much of the book’s power. His dialogue is plain, but realistic and believable, and the authors wisely avoid the temptation to lard his speech with dated and potentially embarrassing slang. The author draws a vivid and affecting picture of Martin’s pain and confusion, bringing a tight-lipped teenager to life. In fact, Martin’s character is so well drawn that when he realizes the truth about his friend Frankie, readers won’t feel as if they are watching an after-school special, but as though they are observing the natural progression of Martin’s personal growth. This short novel appears to be aimed at urban teens who don’t often see their neighborhoods portrayed in young-adult fiction, but its sophisticated characters and affecting story will likely have much wider appeal.
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2004
ISBN: 978-1591940173
Page Count: 152
Publisher: Townsend Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
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
