A cluttered dystopic tale and heavy-handed biblical allegory.
In Terlecky’s future-set YA novel, a teen chafes against the strictures of her seemingly utopian, conflict-free society.
Fifteen-year-old Ellie Wilder is a moderately precocious student in the 10th grade at the TEAMMATE High School. This year, she and her classmates will be placed in their future careers after taking the TEAMMATE Placement Test. Like everyone in her society, Ellie follows the rules of the TEAMMATE Rulebook in order to preserve their fair and peaceful society; these include not questioning the TEAMMATE Council and rejecting all forms of paganism (because religion was divisive and led to wars, all faiths are now referred to as “paganism” and outlawed). When Ellie discovers a mysterious book and journal in her attic, she begins to question TEAMMATE. As her questioning spills out into the public, Ellie begins to attract the attention of Andy Jacobs, the boy on whom her best (and only) friend, Judith, has an obsessive crush. (Andy loves that Ellie is “not one of them [other Teammates].”) After a brief turn into romantic comedy, the narrative shifts to clear Christian allegory as the discovery of the book leads Ellie to more questions. After a dramatic chase scene leads Ellie out of her perfect society, the story becomes more like hard SF, complete with time travel. The first several chapters of the novel dive deeply into the compelling world of TEAMMATE as Ellie’s class reviews its history in preparation for the exam. While a bit heavy-handed, the call-and-response lectures are effective at quick worldbuilding. But it is hard to tell who the target audience is for this novel—the first half seems to be written for YA readers, though the characters do not convincingly talk like real-life teens. After the genre shift, everyone suddenly speaks like Bible figures, especially Ellie. Those looking for a Christian parable that may appeal to SF audiences could find something to enjoy here.
A cluttered dystopic tale and heavy-handed biblical allegory.Pub Date: Dec. 9, 2025
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Nov. 4, 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
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in.
Black is back with another dark tale of Faerie, this one set in Faerie and launching a new trilogy.
Jude—broken, rebuilt, fueled by anger and a sense of powerlessness—has never recovered from watching her adoptive Faerie father murder her parents. Human Jude (whose brown hair curls and whose skin color is never described) both hates and loves Madoc, whose murderous nature is true to his Faerie self and who in his way loves her. Brought up among the Gentry, Jude has never felt at ease, but after a decade, Faerie has become her home despite the constant peril. Black’s latest looks at nature and nurture and spins a tale of court intrigue, bloodshed, and a truly messed-up relationship that might be the saving of Jude and the titular prince, who, like Jude, has been shaped by the cruelties of others. Fierce and observant Jude is utterly unaware of the currents that swirl around her. She fights, plots, even murders enemies, but she must also navigate her relationship with her complex family (human, Faerie, and mixed). This is a heady blend of Faerie lore, high fantasy, and high school drama, dripping with description that brings the dangerous but tempting world of Faerie to life.
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in. (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-316-31027-7
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Sept. 25, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2017
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