An issue-driven story that ably grapples with the harsh realities of adolescence.
In Tillit’s third YA series installment,a teenage boy realizes the true meaning of friendship and belonging after his defense of another person upends his school life.
The story follows 17-year-old Blake Dockins in the immediate aftermath of protecting his classmate Zonta Jones from being sexually assaulted by fellow football teammate Carlos, a teen he’d considered his friend, in the girls’ bathroom at school. Although he’s injured from the encounter, Blake is mostly concerned about how the incident will be seen by his peers. He made some racially insensitive comments in class several months ago and many classmates rightfully regard him with open disdain; he ruined his chances with his crush, Emma Tang-Lee, and soured his friendship with another girl. Some classmates reluctantly see him more positively after his intervention in the assault, but his wrestling and football teammates freeze him out for the same reason. Blake has long tried to keep his diagnosed autism a secret by working to fit in with his fellow athletes. However, he’s starting to have doubts about their sense of right and wrong. As Blake tries to repair his damaged relationships with peers outside sports, he may successfully make amends––and make a genuine friend or two. Tillit manages to cover a surprising amount of ground in this slim tome, not only developing Blake as a character but also subtly including references to previous installments without losing new readers. The cast of teens come from diverse backgrounds, and they also offer readers a peek into the diversity of thought that exists among today’s American youth as they deal with issues surrounding racism, sexual harassment, academic stress, drug abuse, housing insecurity, and more over the course of the series. Readers will likely find themselves engaged with Blake’s personal journey, and other characters’ plotlines are equally compelling, resulting in a gritty but hopeful coming-of-age novel.
Pub Date: April 17, 2023
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 186
Publisher: My Easy Read Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 30, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters.
When star hockey player Alec Barczewski’s estranged childhood friend, Dani Collins, moves to town, they end up in a mutually beneficial fake-dating relationship that reignites old feelings.
Following her parents’ divorce, Dani and her mom move in with Dani’s hockey legend grandfather in Southview, Minnesota, where she spent a month every summer as a child and where her friendship with Alec grew. Between visits, the two were pen pals, but they eventually fell out of touch. Despite some tensions over their loss of friendship, the high school seniors reconnect. Desperate to get off Harvard’s waitlist, Dani needs another extracurricular activity, while Alec—whose reputation took a hit when a photo of him holding a bong appeared on social media—is eager to improve his tarnished image for NHL scouts. The pair strike a deal: They’ll fake date, making Alec look like a stable guy whose academically gifted girlfriend is related to hockey royalty, and in exchange, he’ll get Dani a team manager position that will catch the eye of Harvard’s admissions officers. Eventually, complicated feelings about their past, stressful family relationships, and their brewing romance boil over. Romance fans will love the deliciously tension-filled scenes between Alec and Dani, who are believable friends with heavy demands weighing on them. They feel like real teenagers, and readers will enjoy rooting for them as the well-paced story unfolds. Main characters present white.
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2025
ISBN: 9781665921268
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
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
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