Dishes up a good dose of healing along with Spanish culinary delicacies.
First encounters with Spain and its phenomenal food help a grieving American teenager break out of a downward spiral in this travelogue.
Devastated by his mom’s sudden death—which forced him to leave Manhattan and live in Cleveland with the father he barely knew—16-year-old Miles Henderson finds himself suddenly flying to Madrid. His dad is making a last-ditch effort to save his art house cinema by persuading a renowned director to hold her film’s North American premiere at the Ohio International Film Festival, which he’s hosting. Unfortunately, she’s out scouting locations and they keep missing her. While in pursuit through Toledo, Córdoba, and other historic destinations, they connect with Luis—the Spanish exchange student Miles and his mom hosted a year ago. Luis conveniently serves as their driver (despite being Miles’ age in a country where the driving age is 18), tour guide, translator, and most fetchingly, enthusiastic champion of Spanish cuisine, which repeatedly rocks Miles’ world. Along with nods to select artistic and architectural highlights, Ruhlman calls on his expertise gained writing food books for adults to describe dishes like chocolat y churros, angulas, and pinchos morunos in mouthwatering detail. Readers may note the author’s overt efforts to steer events toward an upbeat ending, but they’ll still be swept along by the protagonist’s intense, even sensuous, responses to what he sees and especially tastes during this salutary, refreshingly offbeat odyssey. The cast largely presents white.
Dishes up a good dose of healing along with Spanish culinary delicacies. (Fiction. 13-17)Pub Date: Sept. 8, 2026
ISBN: 9798217140718
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2026
Despite some missteps, this will appeal to readers who enjoy a fresh and realistic teen voice.
A teenage, not-so-lonely loner endures the wilds of high school in Austin, Texas.
Norris Kaplan, the protagonist of Philippe’s debut novel, is a hypersweaty, uber-snarky black, Haitian, French-Canadian pushing to survive life in his new school. His professor mom’s new tenure-track job transplants Norris mid–school year, and his biting wit and sarcasm are exposed through his cataloging of his new world in a field guide–style burn book. He’s greeted in his new life by an assortment of acquaintances, Liam, who is white and struggling with depression; Maddie, a self-sacrificing white cheerleader with a heart of gold; and Aarti, his Indian-American love interest who offers connection. Norris’ ego, fueled by his insecurities, often gets in the way of meaningful character development. The scenes showcasing his emotional growth are too brief and, despite foreshadowing, the climax falls flat because he still gets incredible personal access to people he’s hurt. A scene where Norris is confronted by his mother for getting drunk and belligerent with a white cop is diluted by his refusal or inability to grasp the severity of the situation and the resultant minor consequences. The humor is spot-on, as is the representation of the black diaspora; the opportunity for broader conversations about other topics is there, however, the uneven buildup of detailed, meaningful exchanges and the glibness of Norris’ voice detract.
Despite some missteps, this will appeal to readers who enjoy a fresh and realistic teen voice. (Fiction. 13-16)Pub Date: Jan. 8, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-06-282411-0
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Oct. 14, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
Despite the well-meaning warmth, a wearying plod.
Can a 17-year-old with her first girlfriend prevent real-life folks from discovering her online fandoms?
Cass is proudly queer, happily fat, and extremely secretive about being a fan who role-plays on Discord. Back in middle school, she had what she calls a gaming addiction, playing “The Sims” so much her parents had to take the game away. Now, turning to her role-play friends to cope with her fighting parents, she worries that people will judge her for her fannishness and online life. To be fair, her grades are suffering. And sure, maybe she’s missed a college application deadline. Also, her mom has suddenly left Minneapolis and moved to Maine to be with a man she met online. But on the other hand, Cass is finally dating her amazingly cute longtime crush, Taylor. Pansexual Taylor is a gamer, a little bit punk, White like Cass, and so, so great—but she still can’t help comparing her to Rowan, Cass’ online best friend and role-playing ship partner. But Rowan doesn’t want to be a dirty little secret and doesn’t see why Cass can’t be honest about this part of her life. The inevitable train wreck of her lies looms on the horizon for months in an overlong morality play building to the climax that includes tidy resolutions to all the character arcs that are quite heartwarming but, in the case of Cass’ estranged mother, narratively unearned.
Despite the well-meaning warmth, a wearying plod. (Fiction. 13-16)Pub Date: Feb. 7, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-06-324332-3
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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