An engaging combination of romance and drama that credibly conveys an important social message for teens while providing...
In this new entry of the Bluford Series, a collection of novels for teens in fifth to 10th grade, Liselle Mason narrates a personal account of teen pregnancy and its impact on the inner-city students of fictional Bluford High School.
Kern (No Way Out, 2011) gives an up-close, personal look at teen pregnancy, with the skillful, realistic handling of the teenage girl’s perspective being the novel’s main strength. The readable novel unfolds as Liselle retells her story before a room of tough yet vulnerable girls at her former high school. Her memories focus on the emotions and practical obstacles teen mothers face—rejection, fear, uncertainty—and the loss of innocence that forces them to grow up, often before they’re ready. Lisette recounts how she experienced all of these emotions yet managed—through personal strength and supportive female relatives—to adapt to her new life as a single, working mother. She openly shares her anxiety about hanging out with friends, going to parties and meeting boys. She’s honest about liking the attention she receives from Oscar, the baby’s father, and the crushing disappointment she feels when he ignores her at school. Her retelling of the day she gathers enough nerve to take a pregnancy test leaves a lasting impression. Unable to handle her strict mother’s reaction to her pregnancy, Liselle runs to her aloof father, who tries to send her home. Feeling completely alone, she visits a favorite cousin, Shayna, mother of 1-year-old Ruby. Here, Liselle gains a realistic view of parenthood from her Aunt Zoe, who’s essentially raising Ruby. Telling the story through Liselle conveys a fuller picture of teen pregnancy than any recitation of statistics or adult lectures could. Even in the story, Liselle’s honesty and openness move her audience from rude and disruptive to attentive and empathic. Sharing her story helps Liselle realize her progress, renewing her hope for a successful future.
An engaging combination of romance and drama that credibly conveys an important social message for teens while providing adults with insight into the social and emotional pressures facing today’s youth.Pub Date: Dec. 15, 2010
ISBN: 978-1591942344
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Townsend Press
Review Posted Online: April 2, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
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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