An absorbing premise with an underwhelming payoff.
A transgender teen in New Jersey uncovers a shocking truth about his family that turns his life upside down.
On Jaden’s 17th birthday, his dad and “campy White gay guy” influencer boyfriend, Drew, surprise him with a trip to the courthouse to file for a legal name and gender marker change. What should have been a moment of celebration turns into a waking nightmare when Jaden learns that his birth certificate is fake. Even though Dad was in jail when Jaden was born, the cops arrest him for “possession of falsified government documents with the intent to defraud.” Jaden’s mom, who stored his birth certificate in the family safe, died two years ago. Desperate to help his dad—and get official documents—Jaden sends off DNA samples that reveal an even more unbelievable truth: He has a 0% match with his dad and 99.9% matches with strangers called Aaron and Alena Harper, who are Russian Jewish. And a Google search reveals that the Harpers’ baby was abducted from the NICU 17 years ago. This contemporary thriller captures readers’ attention with its intense twists and turns. The plot moves at a fast pace, but so does the resolution, lessening the emotional impact and believability of the conclusion, and at times the characterization suffers from inconsistency. Unfortunately, Jaden’s best friend Terri, who’s Black and autistic, seems to serve to teach Jaden lessons about the realities of systemic racism and privilege.
An absorbing premise with an underwhelming payoff. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2026
ISBN: 9798225014551
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 23, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
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
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter.
After a Nigerian British girl goes off to an exclusive boarding school that seems to prey on less-privileged students, she discovers there might be some truth behind an urban legend.
Ife Adebola joins the Urban Achievers scholarship program at pricey, high-pressure Nithercott School, arriving shortly after a student called Leon mysteriously disappeared. Gossip says he’s a victim of the glowing-eyed Changing Man who targets the lonely, leaving them changed. Ife doesn’t believe in the myth, but amid the stresses of Nithercott’s competitive, privileged, majority-white environment, where she is constantly reminded of her state school background, she does miss her friends and family. When Malika, a fellow Black scholarship student, disappears and then returns, acting strangely devoid of personality, Ife worries the Changing Man is real—and that she’s next. Ife joins forces with classmate Bijal and Benny, Leon’s younger brother, to uncover the truth about who the Changing Man is and what he wants. Culminating in a detailed, gory, and extended climactic battle, this verbose thriller tempts readers with a nefarious mystery involving racial and class-based violence but never quite lives up to its potential and peters out thematically by its explosive finale. However, this debut offers highly visually evocative and eerie descriptions of characters and events and will appeal to fans of creature horror, social commentary, and dark academia.
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9781250868138
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
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