A beautifully honest depiction of a teenage boy’s difficult path to healing.
In Read’s (The Go Between, 2012, etc.) latest YA novel, a teenage boy struggles with his memories of childhood sexual abuse as he begins to navigate the world of dating.
High school sophomore Kyle Cook loves kicking field goals for his high school football team but beats himself up when his skills prove to be merely decent. His self-esteem has never been the same since he was sent five years ago to stay with his physically, sexually and emotionally abusive aunt while his mother recovered from a devastating car crash that killed his father. Kyle never breathed a word of his abuse to anyone, but it’s led to strange behaviors; for example, he assumes that it’s normal to hide in the bathroom and secretly watch his younger sister, high school freshman Shelly, shower after swim practice—until she catches him one day. When his mother sends him to see Mrs. Sabia, a tiny elderly counselor, he’s surprised that he’s so comfortable with her and opens up about his feelings for the first time. As he begins to hold himself accountable for his own actions and heal his relationship with Shelly, she sets him up on his very first date with her friend Jessica. However, as Kyle and Jessica’s relationship develops and they begin experimenting with sex, his memories of his past trauma threaten to destroy his ability to have a normal relationship. Although a number of other novels, such as Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak (1999), explore the lasting effects and long healing process of sexual abuse in young women, very few YA authors tackle the unique, delicate struggles faced by young men in similar situations. Read effectively manages to get to the heart of Kyle’s struggle to reconcile his traumatic experiences with the pressures of being a teenage boy, who’s been conditioned by his friends’ and teammates’ hypermasculine ideals. Some readers may find that the storytelling lacks subtlety at points, and the depiction of teen culture seems a bit dated; others may take offense at characters’ mild use of homophobic language. Overall, however, they will find this a unique and compelling story.
A beautifully honest depiction of a teenage boy’s difficult path to healing.Pub Date: March 8, 2012
ISBN: 978-1470112202
Page Count: 194
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters.
When star hockey player Alec Barczewski’s estranged childhood friend, Dani Collins, moves to town, they end up in a mutually beneficial fake-dating relationship that reignites old feelings.
Following her parents’ divorce, Dani and her mom move in with Dani’s hockey legend grandfather in Southview, Minnesota, where she spent a month every summer as a child and where her friendship with Alec grew. Between visits, the two were pen pals, but they eventually fell out of touch. Despite some tensions over their loss of friendship, the high school seniors reconnect. Desperate to get off Harvard’s waitlist, Dani needs another extracurricular activity, while Alec—whose reputation took a hit when a photo of him holding a bong appeared on social media—is eager to improve his tarnished image for NHL scouts. The pair strike a deal: They’ll fake date, making Alec look like a stable guy whose academically gifted girlfriend is related to hockey royalty, and in exchange, he’ll get Dani a team manager position that will catch the eye of Harvard’s admissions officers. Eventually, complicated feelings about their past, stressful family relationships, and their brewing romance boil over. Romance fans will love the deliciously tension-filled scenes between Alec and Dani, who are believable friends with heavy demands weighing on them. They feel like real teenagers, and readers will enjoy rooting for them as the well-paced story unfolds. Main characters present white.
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2025
ISBN: 9781665921268
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
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