A detailed analysis of America’s gun culture that unfortunately omits important context around racial bias.
This compact introduction confronts head-on the highly controversial issue of gun ownership in the United States.
Examining how gun ownership became a way of life in the Colonies, which in turn paved the way for the Second Amendment, this volume presents both the historical context for and contemporary concerns surrounding gun ownership. As gun technology became more compact and sophisticated, and automatic weapons became standard issue for organized crime, it became clear that some control was needed. However, legislative attempts in the 1930s and ’60s failed to stop gun violence. Subsequent years saw the rise of powerful gun lobbies such as the National Rifle Association and legislation that further protected the rights of individuals to use firearms for self-defense. Single-page features describe specific mass shootings as well as the murder of Trayvon Martin. The author reviews statistics to analyze the impact of gun legislation on civilian safety, among other subjects. One tremendous oversight in a guide focusing heavily on current events is the lack of mention of public outcry around police shootings of black and Indigenous people or the Black Lives Matter movement. Stock photographs predominantly portray white mourners and victims of gun violence, while a photo illustrating gun sales without background checks features a black customer, possibly sending an unintended message to readers
A detailed analysis of America’s gun culture that unfortunately omits important context around racial bias. (timeline, glossary, source notes, selected bibliography, further information, index, photo credits) (Nonfiction. 13-18)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5415-5554-9
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Twenty-First Century/Lerner
Review Posted Online: July 12, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2019
A powerful story of family, belonging, and identity interlaced with thriller elements.
A wary teen wonders if she should run when people come looking for her.
Lucy Smith was raised by her white father, who said little about her mother. Following his death and her stepmother’s abandonment, Lucy entered the foster care system at 14. Her stepmother revealed that Lucy’s birth mom was Native American, but her social worker urged her to keep that quiet. Battered by her time in the foster care system, it’s no wonder that 18-year-old Lucy is cautious when she’s approached by a man who says he’s an attorney who helps Native American foster kids connect with their families and communities. He introduces her to a friend who reveals to Lucy that she knows her Ojibwe maternal relatives—but a wary Lucy refuses her offer to learn more. Someone is stalking her, after all, and the FBI is investigating the bomb that went off in the diner where she worked—an event she’s sure targeted her. This stand-alone from bestseller Boulley, who’s an enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, includes characters her fans will recognize from previous works. The action scenes are mediated by ruminations on the failings of the foster care system and strong portrayals of Lucy’s relationship with her father and her complicated identity. Ardent book lover Lucy is a sympathetic narrator whose strong sense of justice is coupled with a deep acceptance of others.
A powerful story of family, belonging, and identity interlaced with thriller elements. (content warning, author’s note) (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2025
ISBN: 9781250328533
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
PROFILES
PERSPECTIVES
SEEN & HEARD
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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