Refreshingly sincere.
A teen balances familial obligations and personal aspirations in this earnest coming-of-age graphic novel.
It’s the last day of sophomore year. Luis Menendez would love to spend his summer vacation creating content about local bands for social media to bolster his music journalism dreams. But hot days in Queens, full of dishwashing and food deliveries for his family’s Cuban restaurant, the Havana Express, derail those plans. No matter how hard he works, Luis can’t seem to shake off his overbearing father’s constant criticism, leading to lots of conflict for the “second-generation kid in a working-class Cuban family.” Even worse, rising food and rent costs throw the restaurant’s future into doubt. But fortune smiles upon Luis when he meets Yara, a vivacious, brown-skinned girl, during one of his deliveries. Then an editor from his favorite music website, Indie Hype, extends an invitation for a fall internship. As his dad tries his hardest to get him to focus on “real things,” like the restaurant, Luis must determine what’s important to him. Leveraging a familiar premise, Anta excels at unpacking the intergenerational struggles that at times define immigrant parents and their children. Though Luis’ tale ends with a glimmer of hope, there’s no firm resolution between father and son, an effective choice for this narrative. Dryer’s grounded artwork remains focused on the characters on each page, using frame breaks during tense moments for greater impact.
Refreshingly sincere. (Graphic fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: Sept. 29, 2026
ISBN: 9780063222342
Page Count: 256
Publisher: HarperAlley
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2026
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
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
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