An expertly written SF tale that keeps the stakes high.
When a lethal extraterrestrial race wreaks havoc, a Michigan teen and her dog must make the dangerous trek to a safe zone over 100 miles away in Ash’s YA SF novel.
In 2034, aliens invade Earth to plunder its supply of fresh water. Addie Moore, a bullied and friendless 17-year-old with perfect recall, is with her parents and her trusty Brittany bird dog, Gibson, at their vacation house in Manistee, Michigan. The aggressive aliens, known as “Nubees,” are tall and gray-skinned with insectile wings and doglike faces. Addie’s father, an extraterrestrial technology specialist for the U.S. Department of Defense, has planned ahead, making sure that the Moores have a well-equipped bunker. But their supplies aren’t unlimited, and 16 days in, he leaves to assess the state of things. When he doesn’t return the next morning, Addie’s mother leaves to look for him. About 10 days after that, the oxygen-pumping generator runs out of power, and Addie, carrying a backpack containing such supplies as a first aid kit and hydration packs, ventures outside with Gibson. Her goal is to make it to the safe zone in Midland, about 130 miles away. The problem is that Nubees are seemingly everywhere, and they’re fearsome hunters who kill some humans and take others captive. Addie runs into Sawyer Thompson, the son of her parents’ friends; despite their rocky start, the two decide to travel to the safe zone together. But then Sawyer is taken by the Nubees, and Addie decides that she must risk it all to save him—and possibly others. Ash’s latest novel is, at its heart, a fast-paced and gripping coming-of-age story about survival and resilience. The protagonist and her loyal, protective dog are both compelling point-of-view characters, and the author shows great skill at characterization, with even minor players engaging and distinctive. Readers will be especially intrigued—and terrified—by the Nubees, who are delightfully vicious. Devotees of survival-focused SF will also appreciate that the aliens aren’t the only threat to Addie’s and Gibson’s lives; their encounters with other humans often prove to be just as dangerous.
An expertly written SF tale that keeps the stakes high.Pub Date: July 7, 2026
ISBN: 9798996017430
Page Count: 302
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Aug. 21, 2026
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
This grittily provocative debut explores the horrors of self-harm and the healing power of artistic expression.
After surviving a suicide attempt, a fragile teen isn't sure she can endure without cutting herself.
Seventeen-year-old Charlie Davis, a white girl living on the margins, thinks she has little reason to live: her father drowned himself; her bereft and abusive mother kicked her out; her best friend, Ellis, is nearly brain dead after cutting too deeply; and she's gone through unspeakable experiences living on the street. After spending time in treatment with other young women like her—who cut, burn, poke, and otherwise hurt themselves—Charlie is released and takes a bus from the Twin Cities to Tucson to be closer to Mikey, a boy she "like-likes" but who had pined for Ellis instead. But things don't go as planned in the Arizona desert, because sweet Mikey just wants to be friends. Feeling rejected, Charlie, an artist, is drawn into a destructive new relationship with her sexy older co-worker, a "semifamous" local musician who's obviously a junkie alcoholic. Through intense, diarylike chapters chronicling Charlie's journey, the author captures the brutal and heartbreaking way "girls who write their pain on their bodies" scar and mar themselves, either succumbing or surviving. Like most issue books, this is not an easy read, but it's poignant and transcendent as Charlie breaks more and more before piecing herself back together.
This grittily provocative debut explores the horrors of self-harm and the healing power of artistic expression. (author’s note) (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-101-93471-5
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2016
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