Layered, distinctive, and memorable.
An intrepid teenager battles a powerful, corrupt family to liberate the ordinary people of her frozen world in this translated work from South Korea.
In this duology closer, 17-year-old Jeon Chobahm is living in Snowglobe with a few other girls who, like her, recently learned—and exposed to shocked viewers—the secret that they’re clones of Goh Haeri, the star of the world’s most popular reality show. The most recent Haeri died by suicide; now Chobahm vows to discover the fate of the original Haeri, who mysteriously disappeared three years ago. She investigates the Yibonn Media Group, which rules over Snowglobe, while also contending with resentful fellow clone Serin, eluding constant surveillance, and dealing with uncertain feelings about sympathetic Yibonn heir Bonwhe. Chobahm’s movements are impeded by the extreme weather, blackouts, and human-induced environmental disasters that abound in Snowglobe. When Chobahm learns she’ll be framed for a terrible crime, she sets out to reveal an explosive secret to the world, one that the Yibonn family would do anything—including committing murder—to keep quiet. The entertaining plot is deftly interwoven with weightier themes: How does entertainment distort reality? How does one soften the pain of remembering—and what is the price of forgetting? The story is complex, and the heavier themes are handled with a light touch, allowing Chobahm’s strength, intelligence, and compassion to shine. This volume is accessible to new readers but is best appreciated by those familiar with the series opener.
Layered, distinctive, and memorable. (cast of characters) (Dystopian. 12-adult)Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780593809143
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
A troubling depiction of an unhealthy relationship.
A battered girl and an injured rugby star spark up an ill-advised romance at an Irish secondary school.
Beautiful, waiflike, 15-year-old Shannon has lived her entire life in Ballylaggin. Alternately bullied at school and beaten by her ne’er-do-well father, she’s hopeful for a fresh start at Tommen, a private school. Seventeen-year-old Johnny, who has a hair-trigger temper and a severe groin injury, is used to Dublin’s elite-level rugby but, since his family’s move to County Cork, is now stuck captaining Tommen’s middling team. When Johnny angrily kicks a ball and knocks Shannon unconscious (“a soft female groan came from her lips”), a tentative relationship is born. As the two grow closer, Johnny’s past and Shannon’s present become serious obstacles to their budding love, threatening Shannon’s safety. Shannon’s portrayal feels infantilized (“I looked down at the tiny little female under my arm”), while Johnny comes across as borderline obsessive (“I knew I shouldn’t be touching her, but how the hell could I not?”). Uneven pacing and choppy sentences lead to a sudden climax and an unsatisfyingly abrupt ending. Repetitive descriptions, abundant and misogynistic dialogue (Johnny, to his best friend: “who’s the bitch with a vagina now?”), and graphic violence also weigh down this lengthy tome (considerably trimmed down from its original, self-published length). The cast of lively, well-developed supporting characters, especially Johnny’s best friend and Shannon’s protective older brother, is a bright spot. Major characters read white.
A troubling depiction of an unhealthy relationship. (author’s note, pronunciations, glossary, song moments, playlists) (Romance. 16-18)Pub Date: Nov. 28, 2023
ISBN: 9781728299945
Page Count: 626
Publisher: Bloom Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 21, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2023
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
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