Compelling and sensitive treatment of an important topic.
Smallville is rocked by a teen’s death and the arrival of a mercenary businessman.
High school student Clark Kent is walking to school with best friend Pete when a couple of police cars zoom by. Overheard comments made by shocked classmates appear in a constellation of thought bubbles around Clark’s head: Fellow student Alvin Buenaventura has died by suicide. Clark finds Amy, Alvin’s stunned sister, sitting outside the school office and offers his support. His friends Lana and Pete are sympathetic, but Clark, who is reeling from the news, is shocked by the callous reactions of Chloe and Gil. A relationship blossoms between Clark and Amy as she works through her grief, and he probes the tragedy for answers. At home on the farm, Clark’s parents provide grounding and sound advice. The plot thickens with the arrival of industrialist Lionel Luthor and his son, Lex, who faces off against Lana in a debate. Gil, meanwhile, worries his friends with his increasingly erratic behavior: Could he be following in Alvin’s footsteps? At a fall community festival, LutherCorp implements a sinister and destructive plan that only Clark can disable. Grace sensitively addresses the issue of adolescent depression and disaffection within the parameters of the Superman universe, deftly combining this personal story with a high-octane adventure plot. The clean lines and crisp, realistic artwork are a good match for the economical storytelling. Most characters appear white; Pete reads Black.
Compelling and sensitive treatment of an important topic. (Graphic fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Oct. 3, 2023
ISBN: 9781779511058
Page Count: 208
Publisher: DC
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023
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
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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