A thoughtful glimpse into the everyday challenges and joys of growing up.
In Wesorick’s YA novel, an awkward teenager’s life changes for the better after she receives a piece of jewelry that appears to bring her luck.
Rebecca “Becks” Lewis is kicking off her first year of high school, and for this anxious, insecure teen, it’s a less-than-magical experience right from the start, when, after meeting up with her best friend, Trina, she realizes that her choice of outfit is all wrong: “Trina is wearing an army green vintage t-shirt and ripped jeans that just scream ‘cool girl’, and I’m over here in a unicorn dress that screams ‘middle school.’” Both girls have their hopes set on making the high school’s super-competitive dance team, whose members include their pal, Ally, but Becks feels like she can barely walk down the hallway without tripping over her own shoelaces. Add in a mega-crush who may or may not know that she exists, and upperclassmen who treat freshmen like free entertainment, and you’ve got the makings of a chaotic year. Then Becks’ grandfather gives her a four-leaf clover necklace, and, suddenly, things start looking up. Out of nowhere, opportunities appear, and it feels as if the universe finally heard her wishes. The real mystery, though, is whether the necklace is truly magical or simply gives Becks the confidence she needed all along. Many young readers will find Becks’ struggles with insecurity to be relatable as she navigates the trials of adolescence, young love, and shifting friendships; she also encounters mentors who encourage her to claim her place in the world. The story explores self-doubt and the dangers of self-defeating thoughts with sensitivity and insight. Although the plot is somewhat predictable, the prose’s simple, straightforward quality effectively highlights the depth of the characters’ emotions. Readers will witness Becks’ gradual growth as she overcomes disappointment, sets boundaries, and confronts her fears.
A thoughtful glimpse into the everyday challenges and joys of growing up.Pub Date: March 18, 2025
ISBN: 9781967441242
Page Count: 252
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Sept. 26, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2025
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
This grittily provocative debut explores the horrors of self-harm and the healing power of artistic expression.
After surviving a suicide attempt, a fragile teen isn't sure she can endure without cutting herself.
Seventeen-year-old Charlie Davis, a white girl living on the margins, thinks she has little reason to live: her father drowned himself; her bereft and abusive mother kicked her out; her best friend, Ellis, is nearly brain dead after cutting too deeply; and she's gone through unspeakable experiences living on the street. After spending time in treatment with other young women like her—who cut, burn, poke, and otherwise hurt themselves—Charlie is released and takes a bus from the Twin Cities to Tucson to be closer to Mikey, a boy she "like-likes" but who had pined for Ellis instead. But things don't go as planned in the Arizona desert, because sweet Mikey just wants to be friends. Feeling rejected, Charlie, an artist, is drawn into a destructive new relationship with her sexy older co-worker, a "semifamous" local musician who's obviously a junkie alcoholic. Through intense, diarylike chapters chronicling Charlie's journey, the author captures the brutal and heartbreaking way "girls who write their pain on their bodies" scar and mar themselves, either succumbing or surviving. Like most issue books, this is not an easy read, but it's poignant and transcendent as Charlie breaks more and more before piecing herself back together.
This grittily provocative debut explores the horrors of self-harm and the healing power of artistic expression. (author’s note) (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-101-93471-5
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2016
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