Two girls launch a movement to protest their Florida high school’s dress code.
When 15-year-old Malena shows up at school without a bra, she’s not trying to look sexy or attract attention. On the contrary, Malena just has a painful sunburn and is quietly trying to get by after moving from Puerto Rico, which was recently devastated by Hurricane María. Yet, to Malena’s utter humiliation, an assistant principal scrutinizes her chest, then orders her to cover her nipples by putting panty liners beneath her shirt. While she’s in the bathroom, senior Ruby overhears Malena crying while attaching the panty liners and, after peeking into the stall without permission (behavior that crosses boundaries and is not clearly called out), convinces her not to do it. After noncompliance lands Malena in detention, she’s initially upset that Ruby encouraged her to defy directions. Despite her good intentions, Ruby is later rightfully called out for overstepping in other ways, such as acting like a White savior and needing to be a better listener. Told through Ruby’s and Malena’s alternating first-person viewpoints, the plot unfolds thoughtfully after Ruby and Malena team up to challenge the dress code. The book includes important discussions about how race and body type impact the way clothes are perceived as well as about sexual assault and the wrongful shaming of victims.
An ultimately heartwarming story about activism and allyship, learning when to speak up and when to listen. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: April 5, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-42585-5
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Jan. 10, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2022
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BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
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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