Earnest, sweet, and socially aware.
A wholesome romance featuring a case of hidden identity and an asexual protagonist with cerebral palsy.
Love is in the air at Manhattan’s Caldwell Preparatory Academy thanks to an anonymous student known as Caldwell Cupid. Overachiever Joy Corvi is on the romantic side of the ace spectrum but hasn’t had much time for first love, preferring to devote her energy to academics. She’s poised to become the school’s first valedictorian with cerebral palsy—if she can stay ahead of her academic rival, self-assured and handsome Nathaniel Wright. But when people around Joy begin pairing off thanks to Caldwell Cupid, she starts to wonder whether she’s missing out. Seeking a sympathetic ear, Joy emails Caldwell Cupid for advice, and their correspondence causes her to question her approaches to love, friendship, and her future. Details about the matchmaker’s identity are cleverly revealed to readers but not to Joy, providing dramatic irony as they wait for the truth to emerge. Joy’s cerebral palsy is an important part of her character, woven into her emotional and physical responses throughout. The discussions of social themes are satisfying, and the scenes of gentle courtship and vulnerable confessions as Joy’s heart thaws are charming. A central source of conflict for Nathaniel and Joy is developed without subtlety and features a rushed resolution, however. Joy and Nathaniel are cued White; supporting characters bring racial diversity and span the queer identity spectrum.
Earnest, sweet, and socially aware. (author’s note) (Romance. 13-18)Pub Date: June 6, 2023
ISBN: 9781338875386
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
A gentle emphasis on hope and healing makes this a compassionate, restorative collection.
British Indian poet and playwright Gill’s first work for young adults is a tender, feminist examination of hard topics that honors quiet moments of healing and connection.
This poetry collection, organized around the four seasons, has sections that begin with a line of advice for each sign in the zodiac. Many of the poems focus on women’s bonds and identity: There are meditations on the women who have come before and those who will come after, emphasizing enduring mutual support. Romantic love, with partners of different genders, and self-love are explored next. The family section delves into toxic family ties and different parental reactions to coming out. There’s also a powerful meditation on colorism: “As a child, the aunties called my sister Coal. / Coal because of the colour of her skin, / not because of her ability to become fuel, / to glow so brightly despite them.” The next few sections—on hurting, protest, and body image—are empowering, inclusive reminders of one’s value. Topics like microaggressions, climate change, and the importance of voting are addressed: “You deserve a future filled with hope.” The concluding pieces about healing, friendship, and found family are soothing and beautiful. The concise poems, many of which contain abstract ruminations that feel relevant to many moments of joy and pain, combined with Gill’s black-and-white sketches, are accessible and welcoming.
A gentle emphasis on hope and healing makes this a compassionate, restorative collection. (author’s note) (Poetry. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 10, 2023
ISBN: 9781529083606
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
Searing and thoughtful.
An intense look at male body dysmorphia from the author of The Closest I’ve Come (2017).
David Espinoza has always been tormented for his skinny physique, but when the high school bully slaps him in the locker room and catches it on camera, the video becomes a viral meme in his Florida town. The Mexican American teen decides to join a gym and build enough muscle over the summer to lay to rest the incessant teasing. There, he meets bodybuilders who influence him to take steroids in order to speed up the results. With graphic detail, Aceves presents the psychological, physical, and emotional effects of muscle dysmorphia. David’s relationships fall apart—with his family, friends, girlfriend—and the author, who also experienced this disorder in his youth, authentically delineates the ramifications of this illness, which is more prevalent than many believe. After a shocking climax, David finally comes to grips with his addiction, perhaps a little too quickly, but readers won’t mind the not-so-pat resolution. Frank discussions about the sexual lives and drug use of adolescents add authenticity to the story, and the expletive-laden prose makes this more appropriate for older teens. Toxic masculinity, which is cringingly part and parcel of the testosterone-filled world that Aceves portrays, is threaded through the narrative in a contextualized way. David’s friends are mostly Latinx—he has a Puerto Rican girlfriend and a Dominican best friend
Searing and thoughtful. (author’s note, resources) (Realistic fiction. 14-adult)Pub Date: Feb. 11, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-06-248988-3
Page Count: 336
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: Nov. 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
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