Nuanced and insightful: a real winner.
Is there a perfect way to navigate life?
Kevin Reyes, a newly out gay high schooler in the Philippines, is still discovering his path. After coming out to his parents and being “met with silence” before they changed the subject, Kevin leaves with a group of friends from the school journalism club. They’re attending a party hosted by Raymond, an out classmate who appears to embody everything Kevin wishes to be: wealthy, popular, and with a “fancy boyfriend.” At the party, Kevin’s friend Gaby broaches the idea of putting her name forward for student council president with Kevin as her running mate, but his self-defeating attitude quickly shuts her down. Later Kevin gets drunk and confesses his feelings of inadequacy to Raymond, who decides to take him on as a project. He presents Kevin with the same offer as Gaby—and this time, Kevin agrees. He’s captivated by Raymond’s glamorous world and wants to impress his parents by running for student government. But the more time Kevin spends with Raymond, the more he sees beneath the glittering surface, and he’s forced to take stock of the kind of person he truly wants to be. The story authentically explores internalized homophobia, the process of self-discovery, and the complicated family dynamics that arise when one sibling is held up as a perfect role model. Mercado’s loose, dynamic artwork in dark navy with washes of pink conveys the intensity of the characters’ emotions.
Nuanced and insightful: a real winner. (glossary, author’s note) (Graphic fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: July 7, 2026
ISBN: 9781339001593
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Graphix/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: April 20, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2026
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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