A solid debut that explores coming-of-age topics with sensitivity.
Boxing becomes an attractive defense tactic against bullying for a queer Filipino teenager in Los Angeles.
You’d better watch your back if you attend Westlake High, an especially tough place to be a gay teenager. When Bobby Agbayani is outed by graffitied hate speech on his locker, he becomes the target of relentless harassment by Rex and Eddie, two Filipino brothers, and their lackey, Jorge, who is Mexican. When a vicious beat down by the trio leaves Bobby badly injured and without his bike—a beloved gift from his deceased father—he takes up boxing to fight back. Inspired by his hero, world champion fighter Manny Pacquiao, Bobby trades custodial work for boxing lessons from Luke, the Jab Gym’s curmudgeonly yet generous Black owner. With the support of Rosie, his wisecracking Latina best friend, and Brandon, his loyal (and wealthy) Filipino boyfriend, Bobby persists through rigorous training while avoiding Rex and his goons at all costs, struggling through school, and ensuring that his hardworking single mother stays ignorant of his real-life drama. Even though the plot feels plodding at times, and readers may wish for a more nuanced resolution, Pulido addresses important themes of homophobia, socio-economic differences, and fallen heroes with a light hand. Bobby’s internal voice is especially strong, coming across authentically with a spot-on blend of candor and sarcasm in keeping with the geek culture he enjoys.
A solid debut that explores coming-of-age topics with sensitivity. (Fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9780593526736
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Feb. 7, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2023
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
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
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