Authentic flavor inside and out.
Two Latinx young adults in Austin, Texas, find love at the crossroads of family, food, and self-discovery.
Eighteen-year-old Penelope Prado loves working at Nacho’s Tacos, her father’s Mexican restaurant, and dreams of eventually having her own bakery, but her parents—especially her stern father—want more for her. Xander Amaro is a new hire at the restaurant who gets past Pen’s tough exterior with his vulnerability and care. He is from Puebla, Mexico, and undocumented; his father left for the U.S. when he was a boy, and his mother sent him to the States to live with his abuelo. As he holds out hope of locating his father, he is welcomed by the vibrant crew at Nacho’s that works, parties, and pranks together. When a lie sends Pen away from her family home and the restaurant, she must face forced independence while managing her mental health. Kemp’s evocative writing weaves a tender love story set in a tightknit working-class neighborhood that vibrates with life despite local businesses’ ongoing struggles with El Martillo, a dangerous loan shark. Fans of Elizabeth Acevedo’s With the Fire on High (2019) will cherish Xander and Pen’s love story and Pen’s passion for food. This stellar debut offers a cathartic take on a relationship between a father and daughter.
Authentic flavor inside and out. (Fiction. 14-adult)Pub Date: April 6, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-316-46027-9
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Jan. 25, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2021
Whimsical, romantic, and satisfying.
A bloodthirsty forest and a forbidden romance set the mood for this fantasy novel.
Life on the island of Endla has been the same for generations. Those who have magic stay behind to protect the bloodthirsty Wandering Forests, and they are protected in return from the outsiders who dare cross the poisonous lake that surrounds it. But those who don’t show any magical skills are sent away, never to return, as is the case with Leelo’s beloved but magicless younger brother, Tate, who is set to be exiled soon. As a Watcher, Leelo is one of the islanders whose singing holds deadly power, and in a desperate attempt to help Tate stay, she performs an illicit sacrifice, shedding her own blood and releasing a song. Sadly, this ritual doesn’t save her brother, but an outsider hears her mournful, enthralling music. Jaren doesn’t believe in magic, but a twist of fate leaves him wounded and trapped on the island, at the mercy of a beautiful islander—Leelo. As they grow closer, the two teens face impossible odds. This skillful blend of romance, mystery, and fantasy focuses on how Leelo’s love for her family and, eventually, Jaren leads her to question the very fabric of her reality and unveil the dark, bloody secrets behind the island and its twisted society. Leelo and Jaren share a narrative that keeps readers trying to guess its secrets up to the satisfying ending. All characters are cued White.
Whimsical, romantic, and satisfying. (map) (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Dec. 6, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-335-91580-1
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2022
An absorbing trilogy closer featuring high stakes and emotions.
Trapped in a world where monsters have subjugated humans, Joan Chang-Hunt and her friends desperately search for a way to fix the timeline in this third series entry following 2023’s Never a Hero.
When Eleanor reshaped the timeline, Joan managed to protect herself and a few others from being erased from existence. Joan, Ruth, Nick, Aaron, and Jamie emerge into a twisted version of London where, under the reign of Queen Eleanor, humans must give 50 years of their lives to monsters either in service or by shortening their lifespan to power monsters’ time-travelling ability. While chasing rumors of a human resistance group, Joan uncovers a chilling secret: Eleanor’s timeline is rapidly decaying, and once it’s sufficiently weakened, Eleanor will be able to assume control and establish it as the one true timeline. The narrative leans into the series’ overarching theme of fate versus choice by putting the characters in a position to witness versions of themselves in an alternate reality. Joan, who was previously established as having a Chinese human father and English monster mother, is again torn in loyalty and affection as she finds herself drawn to Nick, the hero with whom she shares an unbreakable bond, as well as Aaron, who has chosen to aid and protect her despite his monster family’s influence. A smoldering romance, gripping action sequences, and strategic plot twists will keep pages turning until the end.
An absorbing trilogy closer featuring high stakes and emotions. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Aug. 19, 2025
ISBN: 9780063024748
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: June 13, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2025
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