Somewhat bland social commentary bookended by SF twists.
In Dikkers’ YA novel, a boy from 1950s America travels through time to the year 2020.
Twelve-year-old Patrick Stoodle lives in Cordial Falls, Nevada, in the year 1957. He’s an introverted boy who, when he’s not worrying about the H-bomb, fuels his imagination with SF comic books and radio programs. Meanwhile, he and his scientist father have an emotionally distant relationship. On Patrick’s birthday, however, his dad gives him the ultimate present—a journey through time to the year 2020. The boy is excited at first, but the experience doesn’t go as planned. America in the future has survived the threat of nuclear war, but there are people fighting in the streets, and a deadly virus is killing thousands. Worse, it turns out that Patrick’s whole life has been a lie: Cordial Falls, it turns out, was created by Patrick’s billionaire father to ease his son’s formative years. As Patrick tries to come to terms with life in 2020, a being claiming to be Jesus Christ appears on Earth, throwing the world into further disarray. Dikkers, a founding editor of The Onion and the creator of the comic strip “Jim’s Journal,” has an easygoing prose style and a good grasp of dialogue. Patrick and the other characters ring true, and the tempo of the story effectively ramps up over the course of its three major movements. However, it’s hard to pin down this work’s target audience. The 1950s time-capsule section seems more likely to appeal to nostalgic grandparents than to a young readership. The next section allows for a child’s view of modern society, but it features adult commentary as much as it does Patrick’s newly awoken impressions. The dénouement manifests as an invasion narrative that promotes rationalism over unthinking religious belief. As intriguing as the novel’s ideas are, they’re more edifying than enjoyable. Indeed, given the book’s title and Dikkers’ resume, readers may be surprised by the dearth of humor here. The only discernible joke is of the joke’s-on-you variety, as the narrative tackles the dark folly of humanity.
Somewhat bland social commentary bookended by SF twists.Pub Date: Oct. 9, 2020
ISBN: 979-8-69-574147-6
Page Count: 282
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Dec. 8, 2020
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
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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