An engaging debut that pulls readers into its own twisted reality.
Ametrine is not only an expansive virtual reality world, it’s the setting of the exclusive annual birthday bash hosted by Madison Pembroke, daughter of the game’s ultra-wealthy designers.
Bree Benson was Madison’s best friend—until the summer after middle school. Since the Ametrine parties started in ninth grade, Bree, like many other hopefuls, has waited in vain for an invitation. This year, 12th grade, is her final chance. If Bree didn’t have kind and supportive boyfriend Devin, she’d be completely friendless. When Bree and Devin receive coveted spiral keys—the invitation to the 12-hour event—Bree, who’s hopeful about rekindling her friendship with Madison, ignores her doubts. But the surreal paradise of Ametrine isn’t what it seems. Both Bree’s real life and the world of Ametrine are enticing, vivid, and fully realized. Readers’ hearts will race right along with the fast-paced, nail-biting narrative, and the well-developed characters will keep readers riveted as Ametrine shifts from magical utopia to torturous hellscape. Some readers might have trouble suspending disbelief regarding some elements of the party and the technology, and the ending is somewhat simplistic. But all in all, this gripping thriller, filled with ample queer representation, is a wickedly delicious read that’s ideal for fans of Marie Lu’s Warcross and Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One. Central characters present white.
An engaging debut that pulls readers into its own twisted reality. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2026
ISBN: 9798217038947
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Nov. 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2025
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
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
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