An escapist fantasy of upgraded family and financial circumstances.
Seventeen-year-old Maritza—Ritzy—is used to her flaky mom’s ever changing pseudo-spiritual obsessions, but things take an unexpected twist when she embarks on a voyage to Mexico, leaving Ritzy behind.
To her mom, this is encouraging her daughter to find her own path. To the state of Florida, this is child abandonment. Ritzy, who is white, finds herself removed from her apartment and placed in the system, fortuitously landing with a loving foster mom in an affluent island community. Ritzy navigates the shift in her identity that comes with this move from strip malls and concrete to country clubs and beach bonfires. Her African-American best friend and Indian-American crush feel a world away in this community that seems to be homogeneously white, as indicated by the sudden lack of racial descriptors. She also grapples with a family secret revealed by her entree into foster care. Ritzy starts to settle when sparks fly between her and Spencer, the privileged yet troubled boy next door. When her mom returns, Ritzy faces a tough choice between the life she has and the life that’s possible. Family drama, romance, and Ritzy’s scrappy charm provide enough intrigue to keep readers turning the pages, though no new territory is explored in any depth. Its portrayal of life in the American foster care system bears little resemblance to reality.
An escapist fantasy of upgraded family and financial circumstances. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 25, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-374-30619-9
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A cute story populated with appealing characters.
Soon-to-be high school senior Harry has to choose between his charming ex-boyfriend and the new boy in town.
Harry doesn’t have time for boys this summer—he is focused on writing a screenplay to help him get into college and begin his Hollywood career. Then he meets Logan, who is staying with his aunt and uncle in the small Florida town of Citrus Harbor for the summer and working at the beach club Harry’s family frequents. Unfortunately, Grant, Harry’s ex, is back in town, and even though Harry likes Logan, there are still sparks and memories between him and Grant. The story is both modeled on and heavily references romantic comedy films ranging from the 1970s to the 2000s. Weber sets out to capture the feel of those classic rom-coms and largely succeeds. Everything from the meet-cute to the makeup kiss is sweet and satisfying. The other narrative influence is, surprisingly, superhero movies, reflected in the excerpts from Harry’s fictional screenplay that are interspersed between the chapters. This debut is a light beach read that scratches an itch for readers craving a gay romance that incorporates classic romance tropes. All main characters are implied to be White except for Harry’s best friend, Hailey, who is Filipina.
A cute story populated with appealing characters. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: May 3, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-335-42590-4
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022
Compelling relationships and characters dazzle like a quinceañera tiara.
Being a professional princess isn’t as glamorous as it’s cracked up to be.
Carmen Aguilar’s summer job is the only thing standing between her and the last credit she needs to graduate from high school. Working as a princess for hire at children’s birthday parties in Miami is grueling—and goes from bad to worse when Carmen’s ex-flame, Mauro Reyes, is hired to play the Beast to her Belle. Overwhelming awkwardness and the temptation to rehash the downfall of their relationship has Carmen on the brink of quitting when the whole company is hired to work the quinceañera of someone with whom Carmen is all too familiar: Ariana, her dramatic and entitled cousin. After a major falling out almost four years ago, the cousins and their families have barely spoken. The tías are hoping that this quince will mend their family ties and bring them back together permanently, but Carmen can barely stand to be in the same room as Ariana, let alone tolerate the months of rehearsals required for the big day. Tempers fly, old wounds are reopened, and romance is in the air as this princess endures complex family dynamics and the infuriating attention of her very own Prince Charming. Characters are well developed and dialogue crackles in this energetic tale. Carmen is Cuban and Puerto Rican, and many other characters are Latinx.
Compelling relationships and characters dazzle like a quinceañera tiara. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: March 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-06-299683-1
Page Count: 432
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: Dec. 14, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2021
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