Read for the sensitive portrait of addiction and its effects on a family, not for the magic horses.
Legendary, possibly imaginary horses help a Vermont 12-year-old cope with loss and change.
Claire’s 18-year-old brother, Andy, is at a residential facility being treated for an addiction to pain medication. Her mother, an accountant, lost her job several months ago; between that and the cost of Andy’s treatment, her father’s teacher salary isn’t enough for them to continue to keep the family’s horses, Sunny and Sam. For Claire, Sunny and Sam “hold my skin and bones together”—she can’t imagine life without them. Hoping to prevent their sale by winning the school history fair, she researches the historic use of horses in logging and sugaring as well as their current use in equine therapy. When she finds an old newspaper clipping of a long-ago accident in which horses died, she thinks they’re related to the horses she encounters in the woods—horses only she can see. The storyline of Claire’s brother’s addiction, her family’s struggles with it, and her development through a teen support group are all well handled. However, the wild horses feel out of place. Their existence isn’t important to the story in any way, and Claire’s belief in them isn’t all that compelling as a subplot. Claire and her family are white; her best friend is likely Latinx, and a friend from her support group, South Asian. An author's note discusses alcohol abuse and offers resources for young readers.
Read for the sensitive portrait of addiction and its effects on a family, not for the magic horses. (Fiction. 9-13)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-316-42247-5
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
An optimistic journey of self-acceptance.
Debut author Machias’ novel explores genderfluidity and gender nonconformity as elements of navigating middle school.
Told in two alternating narrative voices, the story follows Ash and Daniel, a pair of Ohio seventh graders who are on a shared mission to rescue an old dog the world doesn’t seem to have room for, a not-so-subtle metaphor highlighting the vulnerabilities faced by all abandoned souls. Throughout their growing kinship, Ash and Daniel struggle with the divergent expectations of those around them: Ash with shifting gender presentations and Daniel with his emotionality and sensitivity. Entering a new school and feeling pressured to pick and disclose a single gender, Ash’s conflicts begin with trying to decide whether to use the boys’, girls’, or gender-neutral bathroom. The school’s diverse Rainbow Alliance is a source of support, but Ash’s parents remain split by more than divorce, with a supportive mom and a dad who tries but fails to understand genderfluidity. Daniel, who has a talent for photography, is a passionate animal lover who volunteers at a local kennel and initially believes Ash is a girl. Ash’s synesthesia amplifies the tension as Ash and Daniel discover a mutual romantic interest. The novel grapples with the impact of society’s overly simplistic messages, but the characterizations at times lack depth, and there are missed opportunities to explore the subtleties of relationships. Main characters are White.
An optimistic journey of self-acceptance. (Fiction. 10-13)Pub Date: June 8, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-06-305389-2
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: April 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
Dominican lore brings a fresh perspective to a thrilling tale.
A gutsy tween faces mystical dangers to protect the ones she loves and bring peace to the island of Zafa for good in this duology closer.
It’s been almost a year since Pilar Ramirez, now 13, defeated demons and escaped from Zafa, the magical world inhabited by Dominican legends and influenced by the ruthless real-life dictator Rafael Trujillo. Unsure of how and when to break the news of the reappearance of her cousin Natasha, who had been missing for 50 years and presumed dead, Pilar is still grappling with the terror of what she experienced in Zafa while learning to hone her newly acquired bruja powers. Pilar is excited to tag along on a trip to the Dominican Republic with her family and her sister’s professor (who played an instrumental role in the previous volume), hoping to find more answers about her heritage and abilities there. It’s no relaxing vacation however, as Pilar immediately begins experiencing unsettling visions and is soon contacted by Carmen, her dear Zafan friend who happens to be a ciguapa, a mythological being from Dominican folklore. Up against terrifying new enemies, Pilar returns to Zafa to find the answers she’ll need to protect her family from sinister supernatural danger. Pilar celebrates her Afro-Latina heritage and is open about her desire to improve her Spanish; she uses Spanish words and phrases liberally throughout the story, adding to the text’s delightful rhythm and flavor.
Dominican lore brings a fresh perspective to a thrilling tale. (Adventure. 9-13)Pub Date: Feb. 28, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-250-77412-5
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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