A heartwarming and realistic YA story.
A young man explores the intricacies of friendships, family, and growing up in debut author May’s keenly perceptive coming-of-age novel.
Sixteen-year-old Ben McDowell has a pretty average list of desires. He wants a reasonably attractive girlfriend, the acceptance of his wrestling teammates, and a chance to escape his crazy household. Unfortunately for him, his life is decidedly not average: he’s stuck with a mother who barely pays attention to him and who pretends to speak for his geriatric dog in a Southern accent, a gregarious father, and a brother, Johnny, who sings Beatles songs but rarely talks. A series of moves have landed the family in unfamiliar Adele, Virginia. Add Ben’s Charlie Brown–shaped head and his penchants for chess and reading, and he has little hope of fitting in at North Central High. Junior year brings some surprising perks, though—there’s a new dog in the family and the possibility that an actual, pretty girl might like him—but he still has to deal with the constant bullying of fellow wrestler Blake Barker. When Blake starts making fun of Johnny’s singing, things turn nasty, and Ben must defend his brother, no matter what the cost. May perceptively captures the reality of suburban teenage life without clichés. Although the book’s plot hinges on predictable elements of teenage fiction, its unapologetically realistic characters keep things warm and fresh. Ben, in particular, is a masterfully drawn protagonist: shallow, occasionally selfish, and sometimes sexist (he thinks his girlfriend “should apologize for not going further than just making out in the car”), he so perfectly embodies the vulnerability and myopia of adolescence that readers won’t be able to help but identify with him. The other characters are just as vivid—his mother’s quirks, Johnny’s autism, and his father’s atta-boy attitude are all so recognizable that they enliven an otherwise unremarkable story. The result is a tale of teen travails that will appeal to adults as well as teenagers.
A heartwarming and realistic YA story.Pub Date: Jan. 23, 2015
ISBN: 978-1491756683
Page Count: 220
Publisher: iUniverse
Review Posted Online: April 16, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.
A fifth-grade New Orleans girl discovers a mysterious chrysalis containing an unexpected creature in this middle-grade novel.
Jacquelyn Marie Johnson, called Jackie, is a 10-year-old African-American girl, the second oldest and the only girl of six siblings. She’s responsible, smart, and enjoys being in charge; she likes “paper dolls and long division and imagining things she had never seen.” Normally, Jackie has no trouble obeying her strict but loving parents. But when her potted snapdragon acquires a peculiar egg or maybe a chrysalis (she dubs it a chrysalegg), Jackie’s strong desire to protect it runs up against her mother’s rule against plants in the house. Jackie doesn’t exactly mean to lie, but she tells her mother she needs to keep the snapdragon in her room for a science project and gets permission. Jackie draws the chrysalegg daily, waiting for something to happen as it gets larger. When the amazing creature inside breaks free, Jackie is more determined than ever to protect it, but this leads her further into secrets and lies. The results when her parents find out are painful, and resolving the problem will take courage, honesty, and trust. Dumas (Jaden Toussaint, the Greatest: Episode 5, 2017, etc.) presents a very likable character in Jackie. At 10, she’s young enough to enjoy playing with paper dolls but has a maturity that even older kids can lack. She’s resourceful, as when she wants to measure a red spot on the chrysalegg; lacking calipers, she fashions one from her hairpin. Jackie’s inward struggle about what to obey—her dearest wishes or the parents she loves—is one many readers will understand. The book complicates this question by making Jackie’s parents, especially her mother, strict (as one might expect to keep order in a large family) but undeniably loving and protective as well—it’s not just a question of outwitting clueless adults. Jackie’s feelings about the creature (tender and responsible but also more than a little obsessive) are similarly shaded rather than black-and-white. The ending suggests that an intriguing sequel is to come.
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943169-32-0
Page Count: 212
Publisher: Plum Street Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.
In the ninth book in the Bluford young-adult series, a young Latino man walks away from violence—but at great personal cost.
In a large Southern California city, 16-year-old Martin Luna hangs out on the fringes of gang life. He’s disaffected, fatherless and increasingly drawn into the orbit of the older, rougher Frankie. When a stray bullet kills Martin’s adored 8-year-old brother, Huero, Martin seems to be heading into a life of crime. But Martin’s mother, determined not to lose another son, moves him to another neighborhood—the fictional town of Bluford, where he attends the racially diverse Bluford High. At his new school, the still-grieving Martin quickly makes enemies and gets into trouble. But he also makes friends with a kind English teacher and catches the eye of Vicky, a smart, pretty and outgoing Bluford student. Martin’s first-person narration supplies much of the book’s power. His dialogue is plain, but realistic and believable, and the authors wisely avoid the temptation to lard his speech with dated and potentially embarrassing slang. The author draws a vivid and affecting picture of Martin’s pain and confusion, bringing a tight-lipped teenager to life. In fact, Martin’s character is so well drawn that when he realizes the truth about his friend Frankie, readers won’t feel as if they are watching an after-school special, but as though they are observing the natural progression of Martin’s personal growth. This short novel appears to be aimed at urban teens who don’t often see their neighborhoods portrayed in young-adult fiction, but its sophisticated characters and affecting story will likely have much wider appeal.
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2004
ISBN: 978-1591940173
Page Count: 152
Publisher: Townsend Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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