For readers willing to abandon plot logic and go with the flow, there are compensations.
Child of Nordic/Scottish parents, Violet—short, dark, curvy—feels like one of a kind until she discovers her uncanny resemblance to the Italian girl depicted in a 1790 portrait.
Tracing the painting’s provenance to Castello di Vesperi in Tuscany, Violet wheedles her mother into sending her to Villa Barbiano, whose formidable owner, Catia, offers summer instruction in the Italian language, art and art history. Joining Violet are working-class Kelly, another Brit, and two rich American girls: blonde Paige and African-American Kendra. Cultures clash, but strife recedes as the girls unite against the unspeakable Elisa, Catia’s daughter, in pursuit of hot Italian boys, beginning with Elisa’s brother, Leonardo. Violet sets her sights on handsome Luca, whose family owns Castello di Vesperi. The plot finally thickens halfway through, when Violet’s resemblance to Luca’s family is discovered and their burgeoning romance interrupted by attempts on her life. Slapdash execution, an undisciplined, rambling style and often-senseless plot (why doesn’t plucky Violet simply ask her doting mother if she’s adopted?) mark this series opener from the author of the Scarlet Wakefield mysteries. Fortunately, Violet's character eventually develops: Abandoning her generically breathless persona, Violet morphs into a funny, caustic observer, comparing and contrasting teen cultures and mores—American, British, Italian.
For readers willing to abandon plot logic and go with the flow, there are compensations. (Mystery romance. 12 & up)Pub Date: June 12, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-385-74135-4
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: March 20, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2012
Exactly what the title promises.
A grieving teen’s devotion to romance films might ruin her chances at actual romance.
Liz Buxbaum has always adored rom-coms, not least for helping her still feel close to her screenwriter mother, who died when she was little. Liz hopes that her senior year might turn into a real-life romantic fantasy, as an old crush has moved back to town, cuter and nicer than ever. Surely she can get Michael to ask her to prom. If only Wes, the annoying boy next door, would help her with her scheming! This charming, fluffy concoction manages to pack into one goofy plot every conceivable trope, from fake dating to the makeover to the big misunderstanding. Creative, quirky, daydreaming Liz is just shy of an annoying stereotype, saved by a dry wit and unresolved grief and anger. Wes makes for a delightful bad boy with a good heart, and supporting characters—including a sassy best friend, a perfect popular rival, even a (not really) evil stepmother—all get the opportunity to transcend their roles. The only villain here is Liz’s lovelorn imagination, provoking her into foolish lies that cause actual hurt feelings; but she is sufficiently self-aware to make amends just in time for the most important trope of all: a blissfully happy ending. All characters seem to be White by default.
Exactly what the title promises. (Romance. 12-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-6762-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK TO SCREEN
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
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