A slightly uneven but unflinchingly sad examination of untimely death.
A contemporary YA novel about loss, love, and forgiveness.
Lilac Sophia Carpenter is 16 years, 11 months, and three weeks old, and she probably won’t live to see 17. An incurable, unnamed terminal illness ravages her body, and as she gets weaker, she daydreams: She imagines her life at different ages, sometimes reliving days in the past, but more often daydreaming about the future—about growing up and getting old and about experiences and jobs that she’ll never have. What most of these visions have in common is a special place reserved for her best friend, the boy next door, Nathan Emery, even though Lilac has barely spoken to him in years. Nathan knows that she’s dying, but he’s avoided talking to her for such a long time—ever since one fateful day when they were both 10 years old.Will he mend his relationship with Lilac before it’s too late? This sorrowful exploration of a dying young girl’s life seems designed to pull at readers’ heartstrings as it follows Lilac’s imaginings. As she comes to terms with what’s happening to her, she rails about the unfairness of it all, and a few chapters effectively unveil her real memories. The book also thoughtfully addresses themes of forgiveness and compassion—how her illness affects others and how their reactions affect her, in turn. A few scattered chapters from Nathan’s perspective feel at odds with the story, however, as they remove the focus from the main character in a way that feels contrived. The reason for Lilac and Nathan’s relationship falling apart feels anticlimactic, especially considering how the narrative keeps the secret from the reader until the end—but it’s tragic, nonetheless.
A slightly uneven but unflinchingly sad examination of untimely death.Pub Date: March 20, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-9888751-7-3
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Brown Beagle Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 15, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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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
A beautiful, magic-infused love story that doesn’t shy away from harsh realities.
Two Japanese American 17-year-olds find one another in an internment camp as they try to piece their lives back together.
It’s 1942. Ren Hamada has a bad reputation, but he works to help support his alcoholic mother and unwed pregnant sister. The only thing his absent father has ever given him is a small wooden carving of a sacred fox. Violet Aratani has loving parents who own a print shop, and she dreams of studying art in college next year. Then her father is arrested by the FBI, accused of being a community organizer. Before he’s taken away, Otōsan slips Violet an old family heirloom—a small figurine of a deer from Nara. With World War II raging on, the two families are taken to the Manzanar relocation center in the California desert, where the magical relics draw Ren and Violet together. The magic also helps them see the fallen god who lives among them—and who could destroy them all. Freeing him would earn them divine favor, but they struggle amid rising tensions and the camp’s inadequate living conditions. Informed by the author’s family’s experiences, this is a fascinating blend of history, romance, and Japanese mythology. Krause accurately depicts the injustices and hardships experienced by Japanese Americans. Despite some heavy, bleak themes, the story captures the ways people sought joy, love, and happiness even in harsh circumstances.
A beautiful, magic-infused love story that doesn’t shy away from harsh realities. (map, author’s note, photos, discussion questions) (Historical fantasy romance. 12-18)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2026
ISBN: 9798217027668
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: June 1, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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