Not a bad first effort, but there are better choices.
Teens living in a desert cult botch a marriage ceremony, with drastic results.
Miriam, at 16 one of the oldest of the Second Generation of New Jerusalem, expects Caleb to choose her as his wife. Though boys and girls are kept separated, Miriam has kept her eye on Caleb, and he leaves her symbols drawn in the sand. But the boys choose wives out of order, and when Aaron’s planned wife gets chosen by Jacob, Aaron picks Miriam, and Caleb is left unwed. Devastated, Caleb attempts to reason with the cult’s leader, Daniel, only to be shamed and rebuffed. Miriam can’t fathom being intimate with Aaron, who, along with his parents, is the only convert to join New Jerusalem in Miriam’s memory, but he doesn’t seem to mind and eventually reveals a deep secret. Despite knowing little about life outside the compound, Miriam is intrigued, not horrified, when Aaron begins to speak against Daniel. Debut author Schuren’s choice to alternate the point of view between Miriam and Caleb gives her more control over the plotline but weakens the book, as the two sound virtually indistinguishable. Caleb’s storyline is also less compelling and its ending, unsatisfying. At no point is it clear how the cult manages to survive with limited resources in a hostile environment. Race is unclear for most characters, although Aaron is implied half-Japanese through his mother’s surname.
Not a bad first effort, but there are better choices. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 25, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-525-51654-5
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: March 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
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
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
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