A turbulent and cathartic account of self-discovery, activism, and first love.
An Indian American girl navigates the stakes and sacrifices of rebellion in this queer coming-of-age story.
At Citrus Grove High School near Orlando, it’s an unspoken truth that students of color are disproportionately punished over their White counterparts. Maya Krishnan, a sophomore and talented artist, is used to playing the invisible observer. But deep inside her, rage is simmering, and she can’t keep quiet about the injustice she sees anymore. Maya stumbles on an opportunity to make waves when her paintings catch the eye of Juneau Zale, a rebellious White girl who leads the Pugilists, a secret group of students who protest Citrus Grove High’s policies through guerilla activism. Under their wing, Maya feels empowered to be more daring than she ever imagined, but it comes at a cost: Her friends are resentful of her sudden secretiveness, her relationship with her single mother is faltering, and her future will be on the line if she’s caught. Complicating things further is Maya’s growing infatuation with Juneau, whose fearlessness both exhilarates and unnerves her. As she’s pulled deeper into Juneau’s orbit—and her whims—Maya begins to realize that she may be in over her head. The protagonist’s passion, outrage, and longing are vividly expressed through ruminative first-person prose and sharp dialogue. Maya’s problems pile up quickly, but the author handles each plot thread deftly and brings the journey to a satisfying conclusion.
A turbulent and cathartic account of self-discovery, activism, and first love. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: July 11, 2023
ISBN: 9780316447324
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: April 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2023
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
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
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