A sober, introspective coming-of-age tale overshadowed by the all-too-real effects of a mass shooting. (Fiction. 16-adult)
In the still-rippling effects of a years-ago tragedy, the survivors cope with the burden of moving on.
When Cole and Matt were in first grade, a shooter killed 17 of their classmates and their principal. Yet life went on for those in the New Jersey suburb, and now they approach the summer after high school graduation. Cole, in the wake of his father’s death, is determined to finally overcome his awkwardness and connect with his longtime crush—although he’ll have to make some drug deals for his romantic master plan to get off the ground. Matt struggles with the guilt of having been at home sick during the shooting due to his diabetes and makes questionable health choices while starting a romantic relationship with a woman who is also irrevocably connected to that pivotal day. The default-white cast includes a classmate who was shot and left partially paralyzed and the autistic twin brother of their deceased friend; both are secondary characters with enough screen time to show their struggles but are barely developed beyond that and feel like idealized martyrs. The town’s diner—wallpapered with failed gun control bills—attests to the horrible commonplaceness of such tragedies. This debut avoids sensationalism, instead focusing on the boys’ attempts to make sense of the changes in their world while grappling with the things that never change.
A sober, introspective coming-of-age tale overshadowed by the all-too-real effects of a mass shooting. (Fiction. 16-adult)Pub Date: April 9, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-328-54727-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 15, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
Compelling characters and worldbuilding are let down by an unengaging plot.
Secrets abound and elves invade in this multiperspective fantasy.
Readers are welcomed into the corridors of Four Halls castle through four first-person, present perspectives. There’s tenacious Thelia, her eyes set on the crown; quick-witted Parsifal, whose facial disfigurement is ridiculed; Bayled, the king’s ward and heir; and Sapphire, a nonbinary elf who overtakes Four Halls along with an elite elven crew. Though these elves arrive to prevent a dangerous overflow of Magic, their ruthless methods petrify the humans and shock Sapphire, who expected the invasion to be nonviolent. As conditions worsen for the humans, Thelia, Parsifal, and Bayled work to overthrow the elves, with Sapphire showing signs of going turncoat as they develop affection for their captives. The narrative’s strength lies in its strong-willed characters and deeply developed world, but these don’t make up for a slow-moving plot, unconvincing emotional beats, and a lack of agency among protagonists. While the split perspectives initially create intrigue by letting readers in on secrets and lies, later they lead to duplicated information reveals and contribute to the story’s slow pace. Life-threatening situations and complicated romantic entanglements receive equal attention; an explicit sex scene between cousins will likely take readers by surprise, though a blooming polyamorous relationship is a refreshing addition. Protagonists are diverse in skin color, sexuality, and gender.
Compelling characters and worldbuilding are let down by an unengaging plot. (map) (Fantasy. 16-18)Pub Date: May 7, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5124-2997-8
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Carolrhoda
Review Posted Online: Feb. 9, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Readers will want to zoom in on this story featuring a strong, sexually confident, disabled female character.
A humorous, hearty novel about the realities (and fantasies) of being a teenager with a disability.
Maeve is a Fredericksburg, Virginia, 18-year-old looking for love, feeding her passion for film, and texting her friends. She also has “a form of muscular dystrophy,” and while she may be perceived as asexual, that doesn’t stop her from positively expressing her sexuality and flirting with any hot guy she sets her sights on, especially Cole Stone, an actor in a film she’s shooting. Maeve is fully aware that her disability does not diminish her worth, and while it does sometimes create insecurity, it never holds her back for long. Maeve fights a variety of ableist ideas and situations, yet, strangely, she doesn’t seem to consider certain events problematic, such as when a priest interrupts a parade to bless her. Unfortunately, Maeve’s best friend, Mags, isn’t always supportive—she is continually negative about Maeve’s romantic pursuits—and seems to be more of a tool for plot development than a fully formed character. Megale’s #ownvoices debut is narrated by Maeve with strings of fast-paced and memorable text messages interspersed throughout the text. The structure of the novel, with multiple points of tension and resolution, creatively maintains reader interest. The book assumes a white default for most characters; one of Maeve’s friends is black.
Readers will want to zoom in on this story featuring a strong, sexually confident, disabled female character. (Fiction. 16-18)Pub Date: May 7, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-250-19049-9
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2019
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