Sixteen is a pivotal age for four generations of Snows. Jim fights to remain in his hometown of Jefferson, Iowa, and to keep his girlfriend when his unfulfilled father tries to uproot the family during the Great Depression. His younger sister, Cathy, confronts fear and shame in 1942 when she is sent to a home for unwed mothers after her boyfriend is killed during basic training. Jill, Jim’s daughter, witnesses the Kent State shootings after her father sends her away from the town’s temptations of drugs and sex to live with her adopted older sister, Mary Suzanne. Jill’s own daughter, Mona, becomes reacquainted with her extended family and learns their secrets, including the real mother of Mary Suzanne when she returns to Jefferson for Great Aunt Cathy’s funeral. Moranville’s talent for historical fiction shows in Jim and Cathy’s stories, which are the most complex, credible and moving. Teens will enjoy watching the Snows come full circle, as each generation faces similar challenges, dreams and desire for love. Female readers in particular will take interest in the growing opportunities for women in each successive generation. (Historical fiction. YA)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2007
ISBN: 978-0-8050-7469-7
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2007
Categories: TEEN HISTORICAL FICTION | TEEN FAMILY
Did you like this book?
Clare’s (Ghosts of the Shadow Market, 2019, etc.) latest is set in the Shadowhunter world in the 20th century’s first decade (with frequent flashbacks to the previous one).
Teenage offspring of the Herondales, Carstairs, Fairchilds, and other angel-descended Nephilim continue their families’ demon-fighting ways amid a round of elegant London balls, soirees, salons, picnics, and romantic intrigues. James Herondale, 17-year-old son of Will and Tessa, finds himself and his “perfectly lethal dimple” hung up between two stunning new arrivals: Cordelia Carstairs, red-haired Persian/British wielder of a fabled magic sword, and Grace Blackthorn, an emotionally damaged but (literally, as the author unsubtly telegraphs) spellbinding friend from childhood. Meanwhile, a sudden outbreak of demonic attacks that leave more and more Shadowhunters felled by a mysterious slow poison plunges James and a cohort of allies into frantic searches for both a cause and an antidote. Ichor-splashed encounters with ravening boojums and even one of hell’s own princes ensue—all leading to final hints of a devastating scheme to destroy the Nephilim in which James himself is slated to play a central role. Characters have a range of skin tones, but ethnic diversity adds no texture to the portrayals; there is a lesbian cousin who wears traditionally male clothing and two young gay men (one tortured, the other less so).
Busy, busy, busy…with portents of doom. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: March 3, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4814-3187-3
Page Count: 624
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: Jan. 23, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2020
Categories: TEEN FICTION | TEEN HISTORICAL FICTION | TEEN SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY
Did you like this book?
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A hospital is an unlikely place for first love, but for two teenagers with cystic fibrosis who have a history of extended stays, it proves to be a realistic yet difficult backdrop.
Stella is a high school senior who is dedicated to her CF treatments while Will, a talented artist, is home-schooled and anticipating his 18th birthday, when he will be free to make his own medical decisions. Despite rocky first impressions, Stella and Will make a deal—Will must stick to his treatment regimen, and in return, Stella will model for him while he draws her portrait. This leads to romance, but the combination of CF and Will’s infection with B. cepacia requires that he must stay several feet away from Stella, making physical touch an impossibility. Stella eventually understands why living on the edge can be freeing, and Will begins taking his treatment regimen seriously—leading to their only bit of meaningful development. The novel is written in alternating chapters, creating a few unexpected plot developments, but much of it is predictable and forgettable due to thin characterization. All characters are presumed white except for gay, Colombian CF patient Poe, whose story arc fulfills tired stereotypical tropes and who seems to function mostly as a catalyst for Stella’s growth.
The pleasure of the protagonists’ romance notwithstanding, give this one a miss. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 20, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5344-3733-3
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 31, 2019
Categories: TEEN ROMANCE | TEEN FAMILY | TEEN SOCIAL THEMES
Did you like this book?
© Copyright 2020 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
