A thriller that takes on enduring questions of loyalty, vengeance, justice, and equity.
In the late-21st-century Ozarks, a teen seeks revenge against the man who destroyed her family.
Seventeen-year-old Dinah lives a hardscrabble life with her mother and asthmatic younger brother, Warren. Their only saving grace is their well: As drought has ravaged the land, this precious resource allows them to barter with neighbors for food. But Gabriel Gates, a violent, corrupt landowner, won't rest until he has dominion over Charlotte County; his latest show of intimidation leaves Dinah’s mother dead, and, tragically, Warren dies too as he and Dinah run for their lives. Bent on making Gates suffer, Dinah hunkers down with Johnny, a boy who is also on Gates’ wanted list, in the caves he has converted into a home and moonshine distillery. The two scheme to take Gates down and reform local society with the help of others living on the fringes, but Gates is deeply embedded in county politics, law enforcement, and business, and it’s hard to know whom to trust. Dinah desperately misses Kara, her best friend and longtime secret crush, and develops (requited) feelings for Johnny. The evocative worldbuilding and action-packed opening will suck readers in, and the monumental challenge Dinah faces will keep them reading even though the characters never feel well-rounded enough to deepen the emotional stakes. Most main characters are White; Kara has Dominican and German ancestry, and there is diversity in ethnicity and sexuality in the supporting cast.
A thriller that takes on enduring questions of loyalty, vengeance, justice, and equity. (Dystopian. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 23, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-64567-312-5
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Page Street
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
A treat for mystery readers who enjoy being kept in suspense.
Everyone believes that Salil Singh killed his girlfriend, Andrea Bell, five years ago—except Pippa Fitz-Amobi.
Pip has known and liked Sal since childhood; he’d supported her when she was being bullied in middle school. For her senior capstone project, Pip researches the disappearance of former Fairview High student Andie, last seen on April 18, 2014, by her younger sister, Becca. The original investigation concluded with most of the evidence pointing to Sal, who was found dead in the woods, apparently by suicide. Andie’s body was never recovered, and Sal was assumed by most to be guilty of abduction and murder. Unable to ignore the gaps in the case, Pip sets out to prove Sal’s innocence, beginning with interviewing his younger brother, Ravi. With his help, Pip digs deeper, unveiling unsavory facts about Andie and the real reason Sal’s friends couldn’t provide him with an alibi. But someone is watching, and Pip may be in more danger than she realizes. Pip’s sleuthing is both impressive and accessible. Online articles about the case and interview transcripts are provided throughout, and Pip’s capstone logs offer insights into her thought processes as new evidence and suspects arise. Jackson’s debut is well-executed and surprises readers with a connective web of interesting characters and motives. Pip and Andie are white, and Sal is of Indian descent.
A treat for mystery readers who enjoy being kept in suspense. (Mystery. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-9848-9636-0
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2019
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
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
bookshelf
