A gripping adventure and a deeply affecting exploration of grief and mental health.
An anxious teen’s wilderness therapy trip becomes an unexpected survival experience.
In the months since his brother, Sean, died, Case has struggled immensely. His anxiety is even more overwhelming than usual, and in fear of losing a second child, his parents convince him to go on a therapeutic group wilderness retreat. Things begin to unravel as soon as he gets on the bus with the appearance of Diana, Sean’s former girlfriend whom Case has been trying desperately to avoid. Just when Case thinks he’s wrapped his head around her presence, Silas, their only counselor and guide, disappears—along with all the group members’ medications. Stranded in the woods with few outdoors skills, little food, and a variety of anxieties, the group of five has no real idea where to go. But as they put their minds together, trying to stay alive, they begin to open up to each other, knitting their individual strengths into a strong support network. Surprisingly action-packed and told almost entirely in the second person, the novel explores Case’s contemporary circumstances and the past that led him there with precise and careful pacing. Bognanni strikes an exceptional balance between the suspenseful survival tale and Sean’s mysterious backstory, gently and authentically weaving in what it’s like to live with an anxiety disorder without sensationalism. The central cast presents white, and some diversity is cued among the group members.
A gripping adventure and a deeply affecting exploration of grief and mental health. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2026
ISBN: 9781250409348
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
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