A rich and jumbled mix of war and peace by an author to watch.
Getting involved with an ex-Marine in war-focused Halo, Montana, is no picnic, especially for a teenage girl who needs to participate in a community-service Help a Vet program in order to graduate.
Twyla Jane Lee and her boyfriend, Billy Goodwin, become drawn into the magnificent mural that is being made by veteran Gabriel Finch out of ammunition casings. But soon they become aware that the artist is in “as many pieces as his mosaic” and that there is local controversy about what he may or may not have done while at war in the Middle East. With Gabriel’s permission, Twyla enters the artwork in a Museum of Modern Art contest in hopes that it will solve multiple problems. Berkhout spins an ambitious and sophisticated tale in an accessible first-person narrative that takes readers through Twyla’s coming-of-age decision-making, angst, and eventual acceptance of the limitations of the universe. She also sheds light on underrepresented slices of life—the military, isolated, largely white rural communities with limited economic opportunity, war photographers—and the hidden world of decommissioned missile silos and raises readers’ respect for the ancient literature and civilizations at the center of the world. If she can’t quite manage to keep all the balls in the air at once, she does demonstrate both passion and talent.
A rich and jumbled mix of war and peace by an author to watch. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-55498-985-0
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Groundwood
Review Posted Online: July 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.
In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me, three characters tell their sides of the story.
Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind. (author’s note, content warning) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781728276229
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
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
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