Most teens feel like they’re missing something, but 17-year-old Morgan was born with a literal hole through her abdomen.
Morgan’s celebrity fitness guru mother has always shielded her smooth, egg-shaped difference from the world, but Morgan is tired of hiding. Armed with a fake ID, she heads to a local dance club, where, donning a belly shirt and empowered by her anonymity, she reveals the Hole to the world in an act that leaves her feeling free. It’s not long before Morgan is an internet sensation, her body public property. She’s scrutinized from every angle, the Hole the object of obscene jokes. Then her doctor introduces her to Howie, born with a lump of skin that’s the Hole’s perfect match. Genetic research on the two of them has led to the possibility of gene therapy that might close the Hole. Will Morgan remain true to herself, missing piece and all? Morgan narrates in a straightforward voice that is at once wry and heartfelt. The relationship between introvert Morgan and her best friend, fat-positive glamour girl Caroline, eclipses the dry love story that evolves between Morgan and sweet-natured Howie. Most characters, including freckled, Jewish Morgan, are assumed white; some people of color are mentioned in passing; and a briefly mentioned character is referred to with they/them pronouns.
An empowering, timely feminist read about bodily autonomy and one young woman’s fight to keep control of hers. (Fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Sept. 4, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-61695-956-2
Page Count: 360
Publisher: Soho Teen
Review Posted Online: July 29, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2018
Categories: TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES
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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
Categories: TEENS & YOUNG ADULT ROMANCE | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES
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A treat for mystery readers who enjoy being kept in suspense.
32
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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
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