Happy families may not all be alike, but they can be a little dull. Still, the characters are so well-drawn that many...
Writing about nice people is always a risk.
Lucy and Dov may be nice, but that doesn’t mean they’re happy. Dov’s brother died in a sudden accident, and Lucy has just been dumped by her boyfriend. And Dov, a transfer student from Israel, isn’t always nice. He can be argumentative and sometimes refuses to speak at all. But for most of the novel, the two of them get along so well that there’s no conflict. They drink cider and eat doughnuts. They talk about poetry. The book’s central dilemma is that any relationship they have will be short-lived; Dov wants to serve in the Israeli army, while Lucy has plans to go to college near her family in Chicago (With few physical descriptions, the characters seem to be more multinational than racially diverse. Dov has blue eyes, and Lucy’s best friend is described as pale. Lucy’s grandmother has a female partner.) Creative readers will come up with all sorts of ways to solve the problem, but in the book, even after a solution presents itself, the characters keep on arguing. Maybe they just love drama. In one scene, Dov moodily decides to go running during a tornado watch.
Happy families may not all be alike, but they can be a little dull. Still, the characters are so well-drawn that many readers will have a very nice time in their company. (Fiction. 14-19)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-948705-09-7
Page Count: 260
Publisher: Amberjack Publishing
Review Posted Online: Oct. 22, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
A fast-paced, attention-grabbing boarding school murder mystery.
Two high school seniors with very different motives reluctantly join forces when two of their classmates are murdered.
Amy Alterman considers herself lucky to have had Sarah Oliver in her life. Since they were in their first year at Meadowbrook Academy—a prestigious institution for the children of the extremely wealthy—the soccer besties have been inseparable. Liz Charles, who attends Meadowbrook on scholarship, doesn’t have any close friends on campus, but she does have the Meadowbrook Gazette, the school’s online newspaper. Liz is determined to make a name for herself in journalism no matter the cost. So, when Sarah and her boyfriend, Ryan Pelham, are found brutally murdered in Sarah and Amy’s dorm room, Liz excitedly breaks the story without considering the consequences. Amy, who soon becomes her classmates’ prime suspect, desperately tries to clear her name while also protecting her “townie” boyfriend, Joseph Stone. In this plot-driven page-turner, Liz and Amy are thrown together despite their mutual distrust as they try to figure out who really committed the heinous double murder. The unlikely companions discover that the truth isn’t easy to find and that even the people they trust the most are likely hiding something. This compelling novel will keep readers guessing, as the narrative moves steadily toward its satisfying conclusion. Central characters are cued white; Amy’s Jewish identity is skillfully and naturally woven into the story.
A fast-paced, attention-grabbing boarding school murder mystery. (Mystery. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9780593698716
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2024
A thought-provoking exploration of storytelling dynamics in a social media–driven society.
A Black basketball star starts his senior year by pivoting to find his true voice in the classroom.
Ossie Brown was destined for greatness before an injury in a game ended his high school basketball career. Ossie feels like his future was stolen—and on top of that, his girlfriend dumps him. Grandma Alice comforts him with a reminder that basketball doesn’t define him; still, the game helped Ossie cope with his fractured relationship with his widowed mother. A new opportunity opens up when Ms. Hunt, Ossie’s Black English teacher at mostly white Braxton Academy, where he has a full-ride scholarship, tells him about the Mark Twain Creative Writing Program. A vivid dream in which his father speaks to him inspires Ossie’s application essay. He connects with Luis and Naima, the only other participants who aren’t white, but agitation by conservative students against a “woke agenda” leads to Ms. Hunt’s replacement by a teacher who exclusively uses texts by white authors. Ossie’s online attempt to support Naima’s protest has unintended consequences, and he’s forced to reevaluate his solo activism. The central characters’ relationships will engage readers, and Ossie’s dilemma will resonate with anyone whose good intentions have gone sideways. Committed, pragmatic, and reflective Ossie ultimately learns from Grandma Alice’s wise counsel: “This thing of ours—life, you see—is only as beautiful as the bonds we make as we journey through it.”
A thought-provoking exploration of storytelling dynamics in a social media–driven society. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9781536233469
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
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