A well-crafted coming-of-age story that offers an earnest antidote to teen disaffection.
A troublesome teenager must adjust to life with his grandfather in the West Indies in Williams’ debut YA novel.
Black American teen Kadeem Johnson has just earned his third suspension in a month from his Florida high school for fighting. It’s the last straw for Kadeem’s mom, Gwendolyn, a hardworking nurse who packs him off to stay with his grandfather on St. Kitts, the West Indies island where she grew up. (The author’s portrayal of Gwendolyn’s love, frustration, and fear for Kadeem’s future offers a convincing impetus for her desperate decision.) Narrator Kadeem is certain that in a week or two his mother will feel that he’s learned his lesson: “I was gonna be back in Orlando soon. I was gonna have WiFi soon. This was all gonna be over soon.” Soon, he comes to terms with the fact that the arrangement may be permanent. Adjusting with difficulty to a different culture, Kadeem slowly finds positives in his enforced new life: his evolving relationship with a girl named Tess Turnbull; his school, where everyone has to wear a uniform, but there’s no lockdown drills and no one messes with you in the halls; and his eccentric grandfather, whose sly brand of tough love (involving physical labor and self-reliance) earns Kadeem’s grudging cooperation and respect—and, he realizes in a time of crisis, his affection. The novel straightforwardly asserts the behavioral and societal benefits of avoiding social media, having more structure in schools, and eating a healthier diet. It’s hardly subtle in its message, but it’s wrapped in lively, relatable storytelling. And although readers may find the rendering of some characters’ West Indian accents a bit wearying (“you cyan jus’ come root up de chile lak’ he a running vine”), the island setting, rooted in the author’s own upbringing on St. Kitts, is brimming with authenticity.
A well-crafted coming-of-age story that offers an earnest antidote to teen disaffection.Pub Date: April 27, 2022
ISBN: 9798813996856
Page Count: 167
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Nov. 18, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in.
Black is back with another dark tale of Faerie, this one set in Faerie and launching a new trilogy.
Jude—broken, rebuilt, fueled by anger and a sense of powerlessness—has never recovered from watching her adoptive Faerie father murder her parents. Human Jude (whose brown hair curls and whose skin color is never described) both hates and loves Madoc, whose murderous nature is true to his Faerie self and who in his way loves her. Brought up among the Gentry, Jude has never felt at ease, but after a decade, Faerie has become her home despite the constant peril. Black’s latest looks at nature and nurture and spins a tale of court intrigue, bloodshed, and a truly messed-up relationship that might be the saving of Jude and the titular prince, who, like Jude, has been shaped by the cruelties of others. Fierce and observant Jude is utterly unaware of the currents that swirl around her. She fights, plots, even murders enemies, but she must also navigate her relationship with her complex family (human, Faerie, and mixed). This is a heady blend of Faerie lore, high fantasy, and high school drama, dripping with description that brings the dangerous but tempting world of Faerie to life.
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in. (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-316-31027-7
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Sept. 25, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2017
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
