Centurion Alexios Flavius Aquila, nephew of the Dux Britanniarum (Roman Governor of Northern Britain) and therefore, at 23, second in command of a fort, becomes first when the commander is killed in a raid by native tribes. Against standing orders and the advice of an older and wiser subordinate, Alexios panics and orders a retreat that proves disastrous. In disgrace, then, he is sent to command a Northern outpost of Frontier Wolves, most recruited from neighboring tribes and together a close-knit, rough, and independent unit with its own determined ways. Alexios, though, has learned to heed the comments of his officers and the moods and customs of his men—and so, in strong, expertly modulated scenes, he gains their respect, obtains his own wolf cloak as the others have, and wins the friendship of Cunorix, eldest son of the local chieftain and soon chieftain himself. The trouble comes a year after Alexios' arrival, when an insensitive new Praepositus (regional commander) arrives for an inspection tour. His beautiful horse is stolen "half in jest" by Cunorix's impetuous brother Connla, and the Praepositus has Connla executed in retaliation. Thus it is that, when invading tribes attack the fort next morning, Cunorix's local tribesmen are among them. This time, it takes "almost more courage than [Alexios] possessed" to order evacuation, and as much endurance to shepherd the men to safety, wounded and all, through much battling and one inevitably tragic man-to-man contest between Alexios and his friend Cunorix. As always, Sutcliff brings the frontier society of "wolves" and tribesmen to powerful, three-dimensional life and makes their trials and decisions matter urgently.
Pub Date: April 14, 1981
ISBN: 1590785940
Page Count: 254
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1981
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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