A satisfying and emotionally resonant coming-of-age tale.
In Phen’s YA novel, a Mexican teenager discovers the value of devotion through an indelible bond with a loyal and resilient dog.
In 1974, 14-year-old Ernesto lives in a modest home near Tijuana, Mexico, with his mother, father, and sister. His father works in construction and worries about having enough money to support the family. Ernesto earns extra money doing odd jobs after school, but his passion is art— despite his father’s disapproval. His favorite place to draw is the beach, where he sketches the people and places that make his community come to life. While drawing on the beach one afternoon, he sees five dogs attack a sixth, apparently a stray. He rescues the dog, whom he names Oro, and cares for him with the help of Raúl, a compassionate and ambitious young man who plans to work in America. As Ernesto’s bond with Oro deepens, the dog becomes a fixture in the community, known for his loyalty to Ernesto and his kindness to very young children. After a tragic fire ravages his community, Ernesto resolves to earn more money to help his family rebuild their home and embarks on a risky journey to California to find Raúl and see if he can help him get a job. The author’s YA debut is a sensitively observed story of dedication and resilience with an unforgettable bond between a teenager and his dog at its emotional center. Ernesto is an amiable protagonist who’s eager to help support his impoverished family (even though his parents prefer him to focus on his studies). Phen’s writing style is clear and sturdy, with poignant poetic flourishes that highlight Ernesto’s love for Oro (“How can I show you the eyes of my friend which were windows to his heart?”). While Ernesto’s journey is often harrowing, the author keeps a strong focus on his optimism and the valuable life lessons he has learned from his relationship with Oro.
A satisfying and emotionally resonant coming-of-age tale.Pub Date: July 1, 2025
ISBN: 9798991223010
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations.
Magic, mystery, and love intertwine and invite in this newest take on the “enchanted circus” trope.
Sisters raised by their abusive father, a governor of a colonial backwater in a world vaguely reminiscent of the late 18th century, Scarlett and Donatella each long for something more. Scarlett, olive-skinned, dark of hair and attitude, longs for Caraval, the fabled, magical circus helmed by the possibly evil Master Legend Santos, while blonde, sunny Tella finds comfort in drink and the embraces of various men. A slightly awkward start, with inconsistencies of attitude and setting, rapidly smooths out when they, along with handsome “golden-brown” sailor Julian, flee to Caraval on the eve of Scarlett’s arranged marriage. Tella disappears, and Scarlett must navigate a nighttime world of magic to find her. Caraval delights the senses: beautiful and scary, described in luscious prose, this is a show readers will wish they could enter. Dresses can be purchased for secrets or days of life; clocks can become doors; bridges move: this is an inventive and original circus, laced with an edge of horror. A double love story, one sensual romance and the other sisterly loyalty, anchors the plot, but the real star here is Caraval and its secrets.
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations. (Fantasy. 14 & up)Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-250-09525-1
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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