In her uniquely urbane, savage, savagely funny way, Kerr (“Hello,” I Lied, 1998, etc.) sends a trio of teenagers into the terra incognita between “Like” and “Love,” as past sins come home to roost in a small Pennsylvania town. A party invitation brings Edgar Cayce Tobbit, Neal, his friend from group therapy, and Julie, lonely adopted niece of widowed billionaire Rosalind Slaymaster, together. Various triangles develop, all with unequal sides; put too simply, Julie falls for Neal but is more comfortable with E.C. around, while E.C. feels her taking up permanent residence in his awareness, and Neal, less deeply involved, struggles to find the vocabulary to explain what’s going on. Presiding over the tale is Rosalind, orphaned child of retarded parents and former worker in the local funeral home, who grew up the butt of constant derision until swept away by a Texas oilman, only to return to exact revenge. Rosalind is sharp-tongued, utterly ruthless, and decidedly weird—for Peale, her constant companion and dancing partner, is a doll with a place at every dinner table, lavish living quarters, a large tailored wardrobe, even a passport. Thinking E.C. no threat, Rosalind enlists him as Julie’s platonic buddy, not only coming to regret her decision when photos of a skinny-dipping session come to light, but to suffer a nervous breakdown after E.C., in a vain effort to keep Julie from being whisked back to Texas, “kidnaps” Peale, who is subsequently eaten by his Airedale. Thick with ironies, oddball humor, subplots, and complications, featuring a cast of smart, variously flawed characters, nearly all of whom have achieved, at best, a fragile emotional equilibrium after losing loved ones, this again demonstrates Kerr’s uncommon gift for chewy romantic comedies built around complex emotional situations. (Fiction. 12+)
Pub Date: May 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-06-028435-8
Page Count: 244
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2000
IN THE NEWS
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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