A psychological portrait of a family torn apart by grief and mental illness that is, at times, overly dramatic.
Seventeen-year-old Konrad “Rad” Schoe’s mentally ill father is dead, and he doesn’t know how to feel about it.
When Rad’s twin brother, Key, claims he might be responsible for the fact that their father’s body is lying dead at the bottom of a ravine, Rad doesn’t know whether to believe him. Key has always been calm and loving while Rad is haunted by intense emotions that often manifest in fits of rage, much like their father’s. As Rad tries to understand what happened—and to protect his brother from the police—he tells the story of how their family fell apart, including his father’s first mental breakdown and his mother’s sudden death. Throughout, Rad struggles to keep his hold on reality—and to fight his fear that he may suffer from the same mental illness that runs in his family. Rad’s erratic voice, which includes truncated sentences and quick changes in perspective, is darkly poetic but often reads much older than his age. Furthermore, the unresolved plot points make the novel feel more like literary fiction than young adult. The island metaphor that runs throughout sometimes feels forced, as do the romantic relationships. Rad and his family are white and working class, Key is queer, and two secondary characters are implied biracial (Korean/white).
A psychological portrait of a family torn apart by grief and mental illness that is, at times, overly dramatic. (Fiction. 16-adult)Pub Date: May 7, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-77306-192-4
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Groundwood
Review Posted Online: March 2, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2019
An unflinching, devastating, and compelling portrayal of life after insurmountable loss.
Hannah and Mae Winters’ comfortable lives plunge into chaos in the aftermath of the tsunami in Malaysia that kills their parents while they are on vacation.
As high school seniors the sisters are forced to start their lives over in Boston with their maternal Aunt Nora, leaving behind their life in LA. A recovering addict, Hannah finds herself succumbing to pills while Mae, who is adopted, struggles to come to terms with not knowing her ethnic heritage in a family where their maternal Greek heritage is a critical part of their identity. After moving to Boston, Hannah finds comfort in classmate Drew Nolan while Mae meets MIT student Ben Tamura, who shares her passion for science. The story is narrated from the perspectives of both Hannah and Mae. Demetrios (Bad Romance, 2018, etc.) immerses the reader in Mae's and Hannah’s worlds with aplomb and clarity, astutely capturing the precariousness of addiction and the spiral journey of recovery. Heavy themes—abortion, mental health, and more—are handled with care and candor. Readers will find themselves pulled into the world of each sister and her grief, witnessing the gutting effects of addiction and depression. Demetrios has struck a fine balance between science and New Age faith, hopelessness and hope, in her respectful portrayal of the sisters' differences. Most major characters are white; Ben is Japanese American.
An unflinching, devastating, and compelling portrayal of life after insurmountable loss. (Fiction. 16-adult)Pub Date: April 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-22279-4
Page Count: 480
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: Jan. 24, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2020
Though slightly uneven, this suspenseful coming-of-age tale packs a punch.
A teen must protect his family from a powerful gang in Farley’s debut.
In the summer of 1978, Arcangel Valley is ruled by the Blackjacks, a notorious gang with deep roots in the dead-end California town. Fifteen-year-old RJ has other things on his mind, such as his disabled little brother, Charley, whose unspecified foot deformity gives him a mysterious “greater purpose,” and the death of his father, a Vietnam War veteran. But when the Blackjacks order RJ to harass the mysterious old man who’s moved into their territory, RJ must protect himself and his family without losing his soul. As his attempts to outsmart the Blackjacks grow desperate and the old man becomes a confidant, RJ unearths shocking family secrets and wrestles with his conscience and past trauma. Though RJ confronts weighty topics—among them corruption and redemption; the power of storytelling; and the haunting aftermath of war—his evocative, unflinching narration keeps the pages turning. However, the author’s heavy-handed literary and religious symbolism, drawn from The Canterbury Tales and Catholicism, sometimes overshadows realistic plot and character development. Charley, nearly defined by his deformity, is barely developed despite his closeness to RJ; the ending is somewhat far-fetched. Many characters, including RJ, appear to be White. RJ’s best friend is brown-skinned and Latinx.
Though slightly uneven, this suspenseful coming-of-age tale packs a punch. (Historical fiction. 16-18)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-64129-117-0
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Soho Teen
Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2021
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
