A compelling torrent of emotion and healing.
Wrapped up in a tempest of grief and guilt, an English teen escapes to Florida to recalibrate.
Flora Maxwell, younger sister to Orion, the romantic lead from A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow (2020), is feeling unmoored. “She’s a hurricane, that one,” her family’s always said. While she used to find empowerment in that label, in the months following the death of her mum, Flora feels as if she only embodies destruction. Grief, doubt, and the shame of mistakes she’s made compel Flora to lash out and pull away from those who love her, including Gordon, the old friend who could be something more if she weren’t so afraid of ruining another good thing. Heading into self-exile, Flora moves up the date of her flight to the Miami wedding of Pilar Reyes, sister of Lila, her Cuban American friend. A striking photo at a craft fair that catches the eye of keen photographer Flora might just bring the visceral jolt she’s looking for, particularly when it brings her into the orbit of attractive Cuban American Baz. Namey continues to poignantly explore facets of grief, capturing Flora’s complex heartache. Classic rom-com hijinks maintain the levity. Flora’s voice, informed by her passion for photography, is full of evocative imagery, much of it nature related. Her journey of self-discovery, as well as her growth in her confidence in her craft, makes for a satisfying arc.
A compelling torrent of emotion and healing. (Fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9781665915335
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2023
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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