The Mansour family in Toronto is struggling through a summer heatwave, blackouts, and financial stresses.
At 17, Jamilah is the eldest child in her family; her father emigrated from Palestine, and her mother is White. Her anxiety over climate change pushes her to try to transform the family garage into a survival bunker—and that means figuring out how to buy a $2,000 generator. College is not on her mind even though her parents want her to attend. Climate change is what occupies Jamilah’s every waking thought, but no one else in the family seems to care about it. Her 15-year-old sister, Noor, works at a coffee shop and hangs out with her girlfriend, Beth. Her brother, George, 12, is obsessed with video games. Undeterred, Jamilah begins stockpiling canned goods, batteries, and other essentials for the climate apocalypse in her bedroom closet. But when a national climate protest is announced in Ottawa and a climate encampment group sets up in her neighborhood park, Jamilah is forced to think beyond her individual approach to survival, push beyond her comfort limits, and venture into other forms of climate action and community organizing. Chapters are prefaced by short lists of survival tips, and Jamilah’s worries will resonate with many readers. Palestinian cultural elements are woven throughout the book. Christian Jamilah expresses positive opinions about the hijab, but the framing of burqa-wearing as always taking place under duress feels oversimplified.
An appealing title for environmentally minded reluctant readers. (Fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-4594-1660-4
Page Count: 152
Publisher: James Lorimer
Review Posted Online: Dec. 14, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2022
Categories: TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT FICTION
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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
Categories: TEENS & YOUNG ADULT ROMANCE | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES
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A treat for mystery readers who enjoy being kept in suspense.
32
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Everyone believes that Salil Singh killed his girlfriend, Andrea Bell, five years ago—except Pippa Fitz-Amobi.
Pip has known and liked Sal since childhood; he’d supported her when she was being bullied in middle school. For her senior capstone project, Pip researches the disappearance of former Fairview High student Andie, last seen on April 18, 2014, by her younger sister, Becca. The original investigation concluded with most of the evidence pointing to Sal, who was found dead in the woods, apparently by suicide. Andie’s body was never recovered, and Sal was assumed by most to be guilty of abduction and murder. Unable to ignore the gaps in the case, Pip sets out to prove Sal’s innocence, beginning with interviewing his younger brother, Ravi. With his help, Pip digs deeper, unveiling unsavory facts about Andie and the real reason Sal’s friends couldn’t provide him with an alibi. But someone is watching, and Pip may be in more danger than she realizes. Pip’s sleuthing is both impressive and accessible. Online articles about the case and interview transcripts are provided throughout, and Pip’s capstone logs offer insights into her thought processes as new evidence and suspects arise. Jackson’s debut is well-executed and surprises readers with a connective web of interesting characters and motives. Pip and Andie are white, and Sal is of Indian descent.
A treat for mystery readers who enjoy being kept in suspense. (Mystery. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-9848-9636-0
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2019
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