An engaging mystery that investigates intimate themes with compassion.
Urgo’s debut YA novel tells the story of a teenager surviving the sudden loss of her mother.
At the opening of this powerful story of transformation and growth, set in present-day small-town New York, 16-year-old Violet McKenna Ashbyis working as a designer backstage for her high school’s latest theatrical performance when she learns that her mother, a commercial airline pilot, never came to the show—because her plane vanished. Soon news reports and social media are speculating that her mother brought the plane down on purpose, or perhaps “US133 has been cyberhijacked by a remote foreign body,” even “perhaps a domestic threat.” Unlike her sister and father, who seem to accept that her mother is dead almost immediately, Violet stubbornly attempts to learn the truth of the plane’s disappearance, along the way uncovering a series of revelatory secrets which lead her to self-harm—an old habit she fights against. The novel explores themes of mental illness and betrayal within a family with insight and empathy, and Urgo is excellent at describing the chaotic rhythms of teenagers in the 21st century, particularly those in the midst of extraordinary circumstances. Like many teens, Violet feels alone in her angst, describing the loss of her mother as a sign that she “couldn’t have nice things,” such as act in the upcoming school play or have a boyfriend or girlfriend, because “life wasn’t meant to be perfect” for her. Each of the characters in Urgo’s narrative is drawn with refreshing detail, making them feel believable: Violet’s father is a writer of crime novels, while her mother is the primary breadwinner; her sister, Savannah, gets a kidney infection; and her friends Alex and Langdon have anxieties, ambitions, and dreams and sometimes make mistakes. Even if, over the course of her odyssey, Violet comes to uncomfortable conclusions, she undergoes a powerful and engaging transformation.
An engaging mystery that investigates intimate themes with compassion.Pub Date: June 7, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-64937-217-8
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.
The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.
Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798987380406
Page Count: 538
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
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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