Heartwarming moments aside, the story falls flat.
A girl from an unstable home discovers inner strength and courage in Kumor’s debut YA novel.
Shy 12-year-old Sandy and her 15-year-old brother Nick are sent to live with their “Granpa” in his dirty, “paint-thirsty house” after their mother is hospitalized due to an unspecified mental illness. The transition is tough: The siblings struggle to fit in, the fridge is nearly empty, and their beer-drinking, cigarette-smoking grandfather isn’t overly nurturing. Over time, however, the trio settles into a rhythm; they divvy up chores, add vegetables to their meals, and start attending Sunday mass. When a schoolmate invites Sandy to visit the horse stables where she rides, it is life-changing. Sandy is often lonely, and she suffers the harassment of a group of boys, but at the stables she finds a sense of belonging. Before long, she is hired to clean stalls and learns to ride. Sandy forms a close bond with Credo, a temperamental Appaloosa rescue who has likely been abused. As trust builds between Sandy and the horse, they help one another heal from their complicated pasts. In the novel’s harrowing conclusion, Sandy is forced to test her newfound bravery. Kumor’s depiction of the bond between the damaged horse and the struggling adolescent is affecting, but despite ample opportunities for drama, the author struggles with pacing—unfortunately, tension doesn’t begin to build until near the narrative’s ending. The writing overall could be elevated (“Horses were interesting. She liked looking at pictures of them”), though the short chapters and plain language make the story accessible to reluctant readers. The point of view jarringly switches (oddly, sometimes to Credo’s somewhat poetic perspective), but the characters lack nuance, and readers are often given information rather than being immersed in the emotionality of the scenes. Additionally, some plot points, such as the creation of fake pornographic images of numerous school kids (including Nick and Sandy) seem out of place with the novel’s tone.
Heartwarming moments aside, the story falls flat.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2024
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
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.
In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me, three characters tell their sides of the story.
Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind. (author’s note, content warning) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781728276229
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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