An important plot-driven story about two teens who stand up for what’s right in the face of adversity.
High school seniors and best friends Logan and Cade are asked to defend the indefensible as part of a history assignment; they refuse.
Logan and Cade are not Jewish, but when their history teacher, Mr. Bartley, gives them an assignment in which they are to take on the role of Nazis and reenact the Wannsee Conference of 1942, each taking a side of the “debate” about the Final Solution, they protest. This is not a debate at all but a dehumanizing discussion about the extermination of the Jewish people. Narrated from the perspectives of several different characters, the novel tells a fictionalized story based on the actions of two New York state teens who stood against their teacher, principal, and, eventually, their school district with the help of their families and community. Despite abrupt, sometimes confusing point-of-view switches and somewhat wordy prose, this fast-paced novel will keep readers thoroughly engaged and eager to learn the resolution, rooting for Logan and Cade the whole way. The book contains a small element of romance as well as some references to sexual assault and physical abuse. The book also depicts anti-Semitic actions and related hate crimes. Main characters are assumed to be cisgender, white, and straight. There is diversity among the secondary characters, including one queer character.
An important plot-driven story about two teens who stand up for what’s right in the face of adversity. (resources, discussion questions) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Aug. 25, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-12316-4
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
An enticing, turbulent, and satisfying final voyage.
Adrian, the youngest of the Montague siblings, sails into tumultuous waters in search of answers about himself, the sudden death of his mother, and her mysterious, cracked spyglass.
On the summer solstice less than a year ago, Caroline Montague fell off a cliff in Aberdeen into the sea. When the Scottish hostel where she was staying sends a box of her left-behind belongings to London, Adrian—an anxious, White nobleman on the cusp of joining Parliament—discovers one of his mother’s most treasured possessions, an antique spyglass. She acquired it when she was the sole survivor of a shipwreck many years earlier. His mother always carried that spyglass with her, but on the day of her death, she had left it behind in her room. Although he never knew its full significance, Adrian is haunted by new questions and is certain the spyglass will lead him to the truth. Once again, Lee crafts an absorbing adventure with dangerous stakes, dynamic character growth, sharp social and political commentary, and a storm of emotion. Inseparable from his external search for answers about his mother, Adrian seeks a solution for himself, an end to his struggle with mental illness—a journey handled with hopeful, gentle honesty that validates the experiences of both good and bad days. Characters from the first two books play significant secondary roles, and the resolution ties up their loose ends. Humorous antics provide a well-measured balance with the heavier themes.
An enticing, turbulent, and satisfying final voyage. (Historical fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-06-291601-3
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2021
A winning game of feelingsball.
A former football star, who never thought she’d play again after she came out as transgender, steps back onto the field for one last season to help her team win state.
Grace Woodhouse used to know where she belonged. She had Division I schools lined up to recruit her, but that was before what happened during playoffs last year, before she came out as trans, and before she quit the team. Although her single father and new friend group support her, Grace feels lost as her senior year begins. When one of her old teammates asks her to help him with his technique, she quickly realizes that he and the other captains are hoping for more than her expertise from the sidelines—they want her to rejoin the team. Grace can’t resist the opportunity to play again, but her return draws unwanted national attention that makes her question her future and who she wants to be. Flashback chapters written in the second-person present tense bring Grace’s past to life, which helps maintain momentum and makes her emotional journey feel more immersive. A heartfelt, goofy, and diverse cast of secondary characters surround Grace, who’s white, as she navigates self-doubt, friendship, complicated feelings for her ex-girlfriend, and what she wants to do after graduation. Overall, this coming-of-age sports narrative is honest, gentle, and hopeful.
A winning game of feelingsball. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 13, 2025
ISBN: 9781646145027
Page Count: 344
Publisher: Levine Querido
Review Posted Online: March 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2025
PERSPECTIVES
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