Ginny Blackstone returns for another delightfully madcap adventure in Europe in this follow-up to Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes (2005). Seemingly out of nowhere, Ginny receives an e-mail containing a scanned copy of the never-opened 13th and final letter from her deceased aunt, stolen along with her backpack while she hopped from country to country in the first novel. The person in possession of the letter instructs her to respond if she’s interested, leading her back to England, where she gets another chance to see her not-boyfriend Keith, with whom she has a relationship that they’ve agreed is “kind of something.” Inevitably, they embark on another trip encompassing France, Belgium, Holland and, eventually, a messy, drunken New Year’s Eve in Ireland, though this time with the addition of two new, not altogether welcome traveling companions. Ginny’s narrative, told in an intelligent, third-person voice, establishes her firmly as a sympathetic, often hilarious everygirl, whose efforts to understand herself and who she’d like to be are fraught with moments both romantic and heartbreaking. Johnson’s skill in creating secondary characters that are unusual, realistically flawed and utterly believable is again on display here. While there are no big surprises in this oft-told story of a teen’s growth through travel and new relationships, this is an appealingly smart and honest read that fans of the first will find deeply satisfying. (Fiction. 12 & up)
Pub Date: April 26, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-06-197679-7
Page Count: 288
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: April 5, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2011
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
Exactly what the title promises.
A grieving teen’s devotion to romance films might ruin her chances at actual romance.
Liz Buxbaum has always adored rom-coms, not least for helping her still feel close to her screenwriter mother, who died when she was little. Liz hopes that her senior year might turn into a real-life romantic fantasy, as an old crush has moved back to town, cuter and nicer than ever. Surely she can get Michael to ask her to prom. If only Wes, the annoying boy next door, would help her with her scheming! This charming, fluffy concoction manages to pack into one goofy plot every conceivable trope, from fake dating to the makeover to the big misunderstanding. Creative, quirky, daydreaming Liz is just shy of an annoying stereotype, saved by a dry wit and unresolved grief and anger. Wes makes for a delightful bad boy with a good heart, and supporting characters—including a sassy best friend, a perfect popular rival, even a (not really) evil stepmother—all get the opportunity to transcend their roles. The only villain here is Liz’s lovelorn imagination, provoking her into foolish lies that cause actual hurt feelings; but she is sufficiently self-aware to make amends just in time for the most important trope of all: a blissfully happy ending. All characters seem to be White by default.
Exactly what the title promises. (Romance. 12-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-6762-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK TO SCREEN
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