A heartfelt, grim glimpse of addiction’s fallout.
Vivid realism reaches impressive heights in this novel in verse.
Ninth grader Ceti is a star soccer player struggling with a future she can barely imagine and a drug-abusing mother. Her bleak past includes living in a truck, and though memories of her grandfather are warm, his absence stings. Ceti’s history of strained friendships resulting from the deception and emotional upheaval of living with an addicted parent contrast with the vital joy and respite of the soccer field and the attention of a supportive coach. The emotional heart of the story is expressed in the poem “Jigsaw Puzzle,” in which Ceti weighs the limits of her agency. Ceti’s romantic interest, Will, is cued as Afro-Latinx and her best friend, Ruby, is Black and White. As a White girl, Ceti’s perceptions of race—e.g., that Ruby has it easier because she’s biracial, and her lack of reflection on her mother’s nickname for her, Indian Girl—seem naïve but may reflect the social-emotional limits of a young person raised in a traumatic environment. Impulse control issues and a crisis at home jeopardize her faith in the future she’s working toward. The emotional complexity makes this a good option for serious readers, with each tightly crafted poem delivering a shudderingly beautiful piece to the story. The use of white space and font size and concrete poetic techniques throughout capture the searing moments that define Ceti’s perceived options and powerful journey.
A heartfelt, grim glimpse of addiction’s fallout. (Verse novel. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 25, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-64603-170-2
Page Count: 228
Publisher: Fitzroy Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An emotionally resonant second-chance romance enriched by authentic relationships and profound emotional journeys.
A former child actor reunites with her old co-star while desperately trying to maintain her anonymity.
Five years ago, Claire Hopper, formerly known as CeCe Lafayette, left behind her life in Los Angeles, where she starred in a sitcom, to start over in idyllic small-town Connecticut. Her move and name change coincided with her parents’ divorce. Claire has kept her true identity hidden, even from her best friend, Korean American Evie, in hopes of having a normal post-Hollywood life. But white-presenting Claire’s carefully guarded secret is threatened when mega-famous Salvadoran American Luke Cordova, who was on the show with her, comes to town to film an adaptation of a bestselling book about a local murder. Further complicating matters is that they had “world-ending crushes on each other” but fell out of touch after a dare gone wrong. Luke offers Claire a job as a consultant for the film, which will help pay for NYU, her dream school. She desperately needs the money because her father stole all her earnings from acting. Claire’s concerns are satisfyingly and believably resolved. Her growth as she moves toward self-acceptance and self-love is gratifying. O’Shaughnessy also draws rewarding and authentic connections between Claire and her older brother, Nicky, a college athlete, and his transgender girlfriend, Mara. Best of all is the sizzling chemistry between Luke and Claire, which supports the depth of their love story.
An emotionally resonant second-chance romance enriched by authentic relationships and profound emotional journeys. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 22, 2026
ISBN: 9780063570252
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Storytide/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: June 1, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
