An intensely emotional and beautifully written narrative.
Bliss knows some classmates think of her as the “Weird Girl” because her family owns a funeral home; when she meets Solomon, who’s wrestling with his own big questions about life, she finds a meaningful connection.
Winter break will bring some relief from feeling isolated, although her best friend, Alex, “the only other girl in this school with brown skin,” will be spending it in Mexico City with her family. A floral delivery to Mitchell’s Family Funeral Home brings Solomon into the Black 17-year-old’s world. Solomon is a Black biracial boy who normally lives in Portland with his dad; he’s spending the holiday in Bliss’ small Eastern Oregon town with his white mother, the local florist, hoping to discover why she’s never been part of his life. He’s surprised by how comfortable Bliss is with death, but it’s clear there’s a mutual attraction—and their connection grows. It feels natural to spend time together, even as Solomon has difficult talks with his mother and Bliss pushes back against her mom’s strictness. This poignant novel of young love by Newbery Medalist Watson unfolds in the leads’ alternating first-person narration and will grab readers by the heart and not let go. Watson’s masterful storytelling, which includes realistic portrayals of the central characters, is compelling and deeply satisfying.
An intensely emotional and beautifully written narrative. (Fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2026
ISBN: 9781547605835
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: July 6, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: today
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
Exactly what the title promises.
A grieving teen’s devotion to romance films might ruin her chances at actual romance.
Liz Buxbaum has always adored rom-coms, not least for helping her still feel close to her screenwriter mother, who died when she was little. Liz hopes that her senior year might turn into a real-life romantic fantasy, as an old crush has moved back to town, cuter and nicer than ever. Surely she can get Michael to ask her to prom. If only Wes, the annoying boy next door, would help her with her scheming! This charming, fluffy concoction manages to pack into one goofy plot every conceivable trope, from fake dating to the makeover to the big misunderstanding. Creative, quirky, daydreaming Liz is just shy of an annoying stereotype, saved by a dry wit and unresolved grief and anger. Wes makes for a delightful bad boy with a good heart, and supporting characters—including a sassy best friend, a perfect popular rival, even a (not really) evil stepmother—all get the opportunity to transcend their roles. The only villain here is Liz’s lovelorn imagination, provoking her into foolish lies that cause actual hurt feelings; but she is sufficiently self-aware to make amends just in time for the most important trope of all: a blissfully happy ending. All characters seem to be White by default.
Exactly what the title promises. (Romance. 12-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-6762-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK TO SCREEN
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