A relevant and engaging coming-of-age novel that highlights the accountability that comes with adulthood.
After opening the door to a locked room at a drunken party and seeing something not meant for her to see, events are set in motion that change Harley’s life—and those of her sister and boyfriend—forever.
The next morning, Audrey, Harley’s younger sister, is in a coma, fighting for her life. Harley’s boyfriend, Mike, is responsible for the drunken driving accident that put her there. Harley is consumed by both guilt and rage but also immersed in the tedium of hospital life, waiting for any signs of improvement. Over the years she’s witnessed Mike’s drinking become more and more reckless, culminating in the betrayal that prompted her to leave the party without her sister by her side. In chapters that alternate between the present and scenes from the past, Harley explores her relationships with Audrey, Mike, and Rafael, the childhood friend she reconnects with after the accident. They bond through late-night cigarette breaks, an affinity for comics, and a shared understanding of tragedy. Rafael, Latinx, has also faced substance abuse issues, and his growing self-awareness and commitment to sobriety stand out in stark contrast to Mike’s denial and insecurity. Driven by authentic and well-developed characters and relationships, this work presents a compelling exploration of responsibility and forgiveness. Harley and her family and boyfriend are assumed white.
A relevant and engaging coming-of-age novel that highlights the accountability that comes with adulthood. (author’s note/resources) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 19, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-61695-987-6
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Soho
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
PROFILES
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
This grittily provocative debut explores the horrors of self-harm and the healing power of artistic expression.
After surviving a suicide attempt, a fragile teen isn't sure she can endure without cutting herself.
Seventeen-year-old Charlie Davis, a white girl living on the margins, thinks she has little reason to live: her father drowned himself; her bereft and abusive mother kicked her out; her best friend, Ellis, is nearly brain dead after cutting too deeply; and she's gone through unspeakable experiences living on the street. After spending time in treatment with other young women like her—who cut, burn, poke, and otherwise hurt themselves—Charlie is released and takes a bus from the Twin Cities to Tucson to be closer to Mikey, a boy she "like-likes" but who had pined for Ellis instead. But things don't go as planned in the Arizona desert, because sweet Mikey just wants to be friends. Feeling rejected, Charlie, an artist, is drawn into a destructive new relationship with her sexy older co-worker, a "semifamous" local musician who's obviously a junkie alcoholic. Through intense, diarylike chapters chronicling Charlie's journey, the author captures the brutal and heartbreaking way "girls who write their pain on their bodies" scar and mar themselves, either succumbing or surviving. Like most issue books, this is not an easy read, but it's poignant and transcendent as Charlie breaks more and more before piecing herself back together.
This grittily provocative debut explores the horrors of self-harm and the healing power of artistic expression. (author’s note) (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-101-93471-5
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2016
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