Despite the current gay-teen-novel canon that depicts worlds where two boys can kiss in public for hour upon hour or...
For some, coming out is still hard to do.
Despite the current gay-teen-novel canon that depicts worlds where two boys can kiss in public for hour upon hour or dystopias where teen heroes can just happen to be gay, it can be refreshing to find a good, ol’ coming-out novel. Seventeen-year-old Alabama-born, Pentecostal-preacher–in-the-making Jake Powell manages to convince his Bible-beating dad that he should go to Columbia over the summer to enroll in an exclusive prejournalism program. His perspective widens considerably: He befriends both a gay student and his South Asian roommate and crushes on a girl...maybe. Jake’s religious upbringing overwhelms the text, as he quotes and remembers page upon page of Scripture. It’s clearly meant to show the influence of his growing up a preacher’s kid, but it does get tedious. The debut takes off, however, when things get hot and heavy between Jake and his new friend, Julie. The picture-perfect moment when Jake realizes who he is despite all he’s done to pray the gay away is nothing short of priceless. Shirley’s first is solid but pushes no real new boundaries, which may be a good thing. Despite the countless Bible quotes, his plotting moves smoothly, and his characters feel likable and real. An author worth watching. (Fiction. 12-16) .Pub Date: June 11, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-62601-071-0
Page Count: 302
Publisher: Magnus Books/Riverdale Avenue Books
Review Posted Online: April 29, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2014
PROFILES
The pivotal moment this Jamaican import describes deserves a more artful vehicle for the telling.
A historical novel examines racial tensions in mid-20th-century Bermuda.
Desma Johnson is a black Bermudian girl who is a week away from her 16th birthday. Growing up in a segregated Bermuda in 1959, she’s a brilliant scholar, having earned the Empire Scholarship, beating out many other “coloured” and white students in the Commonwealth. Her father’s gift to her was to be his treating her entire class to the movies. But this is where Desma’s troubles begin. Rumors of a boycott on the island begin circulating. The Progressive Group, said to be initiators of the boycott, seeks to end racial segregation in Bermuda, and they plan to do so by boycotting the movie theaters. Desma is upset by this development, but as the anxieties around the boycott build, she becomes aware of the racial tensions that she had previously been sheltered from in her paradise home of Bermuda. She comes to see a new, less favorable side of neighbors who were once friendly and supportive and realizes the harshness of the shadow that racial divisions cast over the island. In frequently expository prose, Maxwell tells a simple tale of a moment in a country’s history that is often erased. One-dimensional characters, jerky dialogue, and an awkward and excessive use of metaphors often take away from the significance of the revolution that should be at the center of this story.
The pivotal moment this Jamaican import describes deserves a more artful vehicle for the telling. (Historical fiction. 12-16)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2017
ISBN: 978-976-8267-08-5
Page Count: 190
Publisher: Blouse & Skirt Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2017
Flowing text and outstanding images work together to teach a vital Christian message.
A picture book about a child who looks upward, higher and higher, to take in God’s creations.
A boy sits in his crib, looking up at a mobile. He then begins to see the many things that God has created, starting with his loving parents. Looking higher, he sees a variety of vibrant trees—oak, maple, and evergreen—and then several birds, including sparrows, robins, and hummingbirds. The child’s eyes then take to the heavens, discovering clouds, storms, and the sun, moon, and stars. Finally, the child is taught that God made him, as well: “That is why I know that God loves me!” The book ends with Psalm 139:13-14, which reads, in part, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Debut author Keller makes sure that the discoveries’ progression flows naturally, and he specifies different types of trees and birds in a way that’s both captivating and educational. The repeating Christian message of “God made…” drives the book’s point home but, surprisingly, never comes off as preachy. Also, it effectively affirms the child’s (and reader’s) worth as icing on the cake. Debut illustrator Brandes’ brilliant drawings and vivid, illustrated borders do justice to the beauty of what they portray.
Flowing text and outstanding images work together to teach a vital Christian message.Pub Date: July 27, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4787-4980-6
Page Count: 17
Publisher: Outskirts Press
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2017
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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