The brevity and format of this family drama may appeal to reluctant readers, but the story itself isn’t completely engaging.
Seventeen-year-old Henry navigates difficult territory when his adoptive father decides to run for local office just as his older brother, Simon, returns from serving in an unnamed war, bringing his girlfriend, Gracie Lyn Mahdavi, and their baby daughter home with him.
Henry and his twin sister, Helena, experienced a safe and relatively uneventful upbringing after being adopted as young children by Dr. Knights, a school superintendent, and his wife, who died soon afterward. But now, as an older teen, Henry feels invisible to his dad. Simon’s struggle with what seems to be PTSD and his problematic use of alcohol and drugs to cope are sympathetically described, and perhaps due to this focus, Simon is the most extensively developed of all the characters, who otherwise feel one dimensional. Henry and Helena’s adoption and their father’s political ambitions are interesting details, but they are not fully explored. This novel geared for struggling readers depicts Henry’s family’s story in brief passages in verse that make for a quick-paced and accessible read, though the overuse of italics detracts from their ability to effectively cue any particular emphasis. The Knights family and other characters seem to be white by default. Gracie Lyn is Muslim and from Atlantic City.
The brevity and format of this family drama may appeal to reluctant readers, but the story itself isn’t completely engaging. (Verse novel. 14-18)Pub Date: June 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5383-8274-5
Page Count: 200
Publisher: West 44 Books
Review Posted Online: April 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
A clever and entertaining college campus romance.
Two intertwined “mortal enemies” vie for a coveted college zine position.
Sadie is determined to become a staff writer for the zine of her dream school, Virginia’s Maple Ride University. After working tirelessly for years, Sadie was accepted to the university, and now she’s on her way to the Newsbag interest meeting in pursuit of a staff position. But she collides with Sebastian Adams, her longtime school competitor, and the smoothie he’s holding spills all over her. This encounter also reveals unfortunate news: Seb, the Instagram star whose channel, “Adams’ Apples,” is hugely popular, has been taken off Maple Ride’s waitlist. Seb and Sadie have a long, involved history, having practically been raised together since birth by parents who are best friends. Newsbag is highly selective with a national reputation, and the co-editors inform meeting attendees that only one staff writer position is available, setting off a fierce rivalry while simultaneously showing Sadie that her feelings for Seb might be something other than competitive disdain. The college—with its quirky and hilarious student organizations, such as the Sad Bitch Book Club and the Random Acts of Chaos Club—is the perfect setting for the witty snark and blooming rivals-to-lovers romance. Readers will be drawn into the competition while rooting for a happy ending between these nemeses. Sadie and Seb (who’s bisexual) are cued white.
A clever and entertaining college campus romance. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Jan. 21, 2025
ISBN: 9781250904027
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2024
A contemplative exploration of faith, love, and the human condition.
Though intending to grow closer in their devotions, Adam Chen’s and Zayneb Malik’s insecurities and the fractures in their relationship are amplified in this follow-up to Love From A to Z (2019).
Islamically married but living apart—Adam’s in Doha and Zayneb’s in Chicago—the couple meet for short international getaways while Zayneb finishes law school. They’re both hiding internal stressors: Adam’s art gigs and income have dried up, and Zayneb faces unstable housing, and old scandals linked to the undergraduate Muslim Student Association’s leadership threaten her future in international human rights. Eagerly awaiting a romantic reprieve in an English cottage, Zayneb is disappointed when Adam, who’s in a period of remission from multiple sclerosis, suggests they instead make Umrah, a pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina. Zayneb is sorely tested when Adam’s old crush is a leader of their Umrah group who seemingly tries to keep the couple apart. The novel’s dual narrative structure references a curated selection of artifacts as it considers faith and emotion in ways that are unapologetically Muslim and entirely human. Adam and Zayneb draw from prophetic examples and Quranic stories to strengthen their faith and interrogate injustices—both Western democracies’ double standards and intragroup oppression. The examinations of their inner selves, vulnerabilities, feelings of self-worth, and growing codependence are religiously framed and skillfully navigated. Rich descriptive details immerse readers in the landscape of Islamic history.
A contemplative exploration of faith, love, and the human condition. (author’s note) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 18, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-66591-607-3
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Salaam Reads/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 12, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2022
PERSPECTIVES
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