A solid young adult novel explores intergenerational relationships and a Holocaust legacy.
Stollenwerck debuts with a young adult novel about a teenager who bonds with her grandmother and discovers family secrets.
Fifteen-year-old Hailey isn’t looking forward to spending time with her grandmother Gigi for the summer, but it’s the best way to keep her parents from nagging her about ACT prep, volunteering, or getting a job. Hailey’s mother and Gigi have a distant relationship, so Hailey has no expectations for their time together, but she quickly bonds with Gigi, who introduces her to the Beatles, The Great Gatsby, and driving a convertible. Being at Gigi’s house gives Hailey an opportunity to meet her school’s star football players, Blake and DeMarcus, who become her unexpected friends. She also learns some of the family’s complicated history from her grandmother. Gigi’s mother, Ilse, was a Holocaust survivor who died soon after giving birth, and her widowed father, Jack, sent Gigi to live with his sister while he took off for South America on a one-man crusade against escaped Nazis and stolen Jewish property. Hailey and Gigi take a road trip through rural Texas in search of more information about their family, but mysteries remain. When Gigi dies suddenly following a stroke, Hailey is devastated, and she’s even more upset when her mother claims that Gigi’s family stories are all lies. Hailey moves through her mourning process and discovers a hidden map Jack left for Gigi. With Blake’s help, she follows the map to discover hidden treasure and learn more about her extended family. Well-written and engaging, this story has an authentic voice likely to appeal to young adult readers. The pacing is a bit slow at times, but Stollenwerck does a good job of bringing together a sometimes-sprawling collection of characters and subplots into a coherent whole that is supported but not overwhelmed by historical facts. Hailey’s relationship with her father is particularly well done. Beatles fans will appreciate the organic integration of the band’s music into the story, and Gatsby plays an important role in the plot but remains appropriately in the background.
A solid young adult novel explores intergenerational relationships and a Holocaust legacy.Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-68463-145-2
Page Count: 280
Publisher: SparkPress
Review Posted Online: May 12, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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 book that seamlessly brings readers along on a journey of impact and empowerment.
A manifesto for budding feminists.
At the core of this engaging novel are besties Chelsea, who is Irish- and Italian-American and into fashion and beauty, and Jasmine, who is African-American, loves the theater, and pushes back against bias around size (“I don’t need your fake compliments, your pity. I know I’m beautiful. Inside and out”). They and their sidekicks, half-Japanese/half-Lebanese Nadine and Puerto Rican Isaac, grow into first-class activists—simultaneously educating their peers and readers. The year gets off to a rocky start at their progressive, social justice–oriented New York City high school: Along with the usual angst many students experience, Jasmine’s father is terminally ill with cancer, and after things go badly in both their clubs, Jasmine and Chelsea form a women’s rights club which becomes the catalyst for their growth as they explore gender inequality and opportunities for change. This is an inspiring look at two strong-willed teens growing into even stronger young women ready to use their voices and take on the world, imploring budding feminists everywhere to “join the revolution.” The book offers a poetic balance of dialogue among the main characters, their peers, and the adults in their lives. The exquisite pacing, which intersperses everyday teen conflicts with weightier issues, demonstrates how teens long to be heard and taken seriously.
A book that seamlessly brings readers along on a journey of impact and empowerment. (resources for young activists, endnotes) (Fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Feb. 12, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0008-3
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2019
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