A dramatic and moving story about the virtues of abandoning social media and getting on track with your values.
A social media–obsessed teen trades her smartphone for a pair of running shoes in Folan’s YA novel, an installment of the long-running Bluford High series.
High school freshman Naveah is a young Black girl whose social life is tied up online. She has no “in real life” friends to speak of, as she opts to focus on her favorite social media influencer, Klassy Kay. One day, in gym class, Naveah is teamed up with the school’s track star, Jonique—and, to everyone’s surprise, nearly beats her. Video of the race is quickly uploaded to social media and goes viral, sparking a feud between Naveah and Jonique. Jonique demands a rematch, and Naveah, annoyed by the other girl’s constant bloviating and spurred on by her own erstwhile track-superstar mother, accepts. Over 10 days, Naveah trains to be the best runner she can be, despite Jonique’s campaign of cyberbullying. Meanwhile, her mother’s pancreatic cancer diagnosis changes the family dynamic, and Naveah’s training becomes more vital to her and her mother’s relationship as she prepares for the race. Her mother’s treatment schedule requires Naveah to miss the race, and she faces more abuse from her peers. As a result, Naveah decides to disconnect from social media (“At the end of the day, no one will look back on their life and wish they posted more or spent more time on their phones”) and, with her mother’s encouragement, she refocuses on preparing for the Bluford Cross Country Team tryouts. Folan expertly weaves high drama and profound themes to create a story that is at once entertaining and inspiring. Teen readers of all levels will enjoy the depiction of real-world problems (bullying, family strife, health scares) while relating to Naveah’s struggles with technology addiction and feelings of social isolation. Folan’s knack for depicting Black youth without falling into stereotypes helps this book to avoid the pitfalls of overmoralizing that are typical of many titles in the genre.
A dramatic and moving story about the virtues of abandoning social media and getting on track with your values.Pub Date: March 24, 2025
ISBN: 9781591948148
Page Count: 137
Publisher: Townsend Press
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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 light and entertaining plot-driven romance.
A Connecticut girl and her best friend devise a series of plans in order to achieve their goals: following a dream and winning back an ex.
Eighteen-year-old Audrey Barbour has a Master Plan: attend Blue Ridge Glass School in North Carolina and someday turn her Etsy shop, Golightly Glass, into a thriving business. But her uber-wealthy parents insist that she instead follow in their footsteps and go to business school. So Audrey decides to go find the tuition money she needs with help from her best friend, Henry Chen. Henry needs a favor, too: He hopes that fake dating Audrey will help him win back his ex-girlfriend, and he points out to a reluctant Audrey that this could make her crush, Griffin, notice her. While Audrey’s parents vacation in France for three weeks, the pair rent out the Barbour mansion on the Long Island Sound. Soon romantic chemistry grows alongside their business partnership. Despite the pair’s great preparation and an abundance of secondary characters with connections and talents to help pull off their increasingly ambitious ideas, plans go awry, leaving Audrey and Henry scrambling and second-guessing their choices. The pacing is even, but the characters often take a back seat to the whirlwind of activity that drives the plot, with the emphasis falling on each person’s practical skills and their role in keeping the action moving over their emotional bonds. Audrey is white, and Henry’s surname cues him as Chinese American.
A light and entertaining plot-driven romance. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: March 31, 2026
ISBN: 9780593904794
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Delacorte Romance
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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