High-action, high-concept stories for reluctant readers who want grit.
Uprooted from the Philippines to Canada, 16-year-old Angelo struggles to connect with his mother and resist toxic pressure from friends.
For almost 10 years, Angelo’s mother, Yvonne, has been working overseas to provide for their family, but that doesn’t stop him from resenting her for her absence. Struggling with homesickness and trying to navigate his new life, Angelo finds acceptance with a group of Filipino boys who make a hobby out of stealing. Warring with the good and bad influences in his life, Angelo must decide what path he’ll take. The other titles in this series also focus on troubled teens confronting the ramifications of their reckless actions. In Locked Up by Cristy Watson (Room 555, 2019, etc.), 17-year-old Kevin is offered early probation but is weighed down by the guilt of harming another person during a joyride. In Push Back by Karen Spafford-Fitz (Unity Club, 2018, etc.), 16-year-old Zaine’s anger over his mother’s abandonment leads him to lose control and break the law. On the Run by debut author Marilyn Anne Holman features 17-year-old Ryan, who gets caught up in a crime scene and bolts to avoid returning to juvie. Each of these stories focuses on remorse, forgiveness, and change. Most of the titles feature ethnic diversity. While the plots may be predictable, character growth is present and the stories highlight important subjects such as treatment within youth detention centers and difficulties experienced by immigrants.
High-action, high-concept stories for reluctant readers who want grit. (Fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4594-1379-5
Page Count: 192
Publisher: James Lorimer
Review Posted Online: June 22, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.
In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me, three characters tell their sides of the story.
Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind. (author’s note, content warning) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781728276229
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
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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