A sometimes-engaging but problematic story of a teen wrestler, his friends, and his family.
This contemporary YA novel follows a teenager as he prepares for his last year as a high school wrestler with an unexpected new teammate.
When high school junior Ben McDowell attended the wrap-up dinner for the Wildcat wrestling team’s season, he didn’t expect Coach Garland to announce that a girl would be joining the all-male team next year. Jordan Mueller racked up plenty of wins at her previous school, and she has a heck of a lot of drive. Soon, Ben appreciates how hard she works—especially after they go a couple of practice rounds in his home gym. Meanwhile, Ben has a crush on Talia Butler, another classmate, and hopes that over the summer he’ll work up the nerve to really talk to her. The vacation season begins on a sour note, though, with the death of his dog, which further throws off his family’s dynamic. He’s already embarrassed by his autistic brother Johnny’s singing songs in public, and his younger sister seems to be interested in one of his teammates. As he prepares for his final high school wrestling season, it becomes clear that this will be a summer to remember. May, the author of Dogs Don’t Talk (2015), pens a modern slice-of-life YA novel that will appeal to sports fans and neophytes alike as it follows Ben into his senior year. The author does a good job of portraying the roiling teenage mindset; Ben waffles on how he feels about his dog dying, for instance, and feels conflicting emotions about the behaviors of his family members. Most of the secondary characters are quite charming, and the pacing is quick, breezing through the story’s lighter scenes. However, Ben displays some unlikable traits, and he says some things that will offend readers, such as calling his autistic brother an “animal” and expressing a desire to hit him.
A sometimes-engaging but problematic story of a teen wrestler, his friends, and his family.Pub Date: Aug. 19, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-66320-234-5
Page Count: 228
Publisher: Iuniverse Inc
Review Posted Online: Dec. 15, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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 sweet if muddled tale of the magic of Appalachia.
A teenage witch goes up against the evil king of the mountain to save a cursed village.
Witch-in-training Verity Vox has spent a year apiece in different villages, helping in any way she can as she learns her art. When it’s time to move on, she receives a sign that shows her where to go next. When the latest sign appears in the form of a note begging for help that floats down on a leaf, she’s eager for the challenge. Verity winds up in Foxfire, a village in the Appalachian mountains that’s been magically cut off from the rest of the world for years, leaving its people close to starvation. The root of their suffering is a man they know as Earl, who lives in the hills and strikes deals with the townspeople that ultimately cause crops to wither, folks to disappear, and the only bridge out of the valley to crumble. Verity is determined to change the villagers’ fortunes, but to do so she’ll have to face off against not just Earl but the ancient power of the mountains itself. Loosely based on the Germanic Erlking legend and told in a voice reminiscent of folktales, the story features a queer romance and a cast that presents white. The convoluted magic system undercuts the strong themes of reciprocity, poverty, and privilege, but Appalachian readers will instantly recognize home.
A sweet if muddled tale of the magic of Appalachia. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Aug. 5, 2025
ISBN: 9798890032706
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Page Street
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
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