“We all rescue each other on the Camino.”
Each of the six teens walking together with their guides on the Spanish portion of the Camino de Santiago has a different reason for being there—and each will test the limits of their bodies, hearts, and spirits during their once-in-a-lifetime journey. Manny, Claire, Shania, Troy, Diego, and Greg are an unlikely sextet who have committed crimes back home in Toronto but have qualified for a diversion program in lieu of spending time in juvenile detention. To pass the program, they must spend a week and a half walking a portion of the Camino, journaling, and attending mandatory daily group sessions. When they first meet, Diego compares them to the crew of The Breakfast Club—and like the movie characters, they go on to complete their punishment with fellow offenders, learning to care deeply for each other, and themselves, along the way. Alternating chapters are told from three of the peregrinos’, or pilgrims’, points of view: Shania’s, Troy’s, and Diego’s. The teens soon learn that everyone has their own complicated reasons for ending up there, and the author doesn’t shy away from difficult topics, including gay conversion therapy and grief. The group is ethnically diverse and includes gay and lesbian characters; each faces personal challenges that will help many readers feel seen.
A vivid Spanish countryside setting and captivating journey bring new depth to a classic architecture. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-945053-97-9
Page Count: 324
Publisher: Duet
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
Categories: TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT FICTION
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BOOK REVIEW
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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