A beautiful and uplifting read.
Common wisdom says we cannot run from our problems, but for Kayla and Joel, running may solve them.
Black Trinidadians Kayla Francis and Joel de Freitas are two rising track stars from Gomes Lands, a place people like to “cry down” for its poverty and crime. Kayla’s mother works two jobs to provide for her and her two sisters, but it is never enough. Kayla believes doing well at the CARIFTA trials, or Caribbean regional games, will be the ticket to sponsorships, qualifying for the Olympics, and a chance at stability. Joel de Freitas, however, is not looking to carry his family; in some ways he’s trying to leave it behind, specifically the shadow of his absent former-runner father, George. It’s not the first time he’s been abandoned, as his mother stayed in the United States, leaving G, his grandmother, to raise him. According to Joel, G is all the family he needs. As the two athletes inch closer to the CARIFTA games and to each other, more problems are thrown at their feet both on and off the track. Written from Joel’s and Kayla’s alternating points of view, readers are treated to both sides of the story and can see how they influence one another. The Trinidadian dialect roots the story firmly in the Caribbean, adding to the rich sense of place and showcasing the layers of modern island life. The characters reflect how many teenagers take the influences of family, friends, coaches, and figure things out on their own: Burdens we bear don’t feel as heavy when carried together.
A beautiful and uplifting read. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 25, 2020
ISBN: 978-976-8267-32-0
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Blouse & Skirt Books
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
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
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in.
Black is back with another dark tale of Faerie, this one set in Faerie and launching a new trilogy.
Jude—broken, rebuilt, fueled by anger and a sense of powerlessness—has never recovered from watching her adoptive Faerie father murder her parents. Human Jude (whose brown hair curls and whose skin color is never described) both hates and loves Madoc, whose murderous nature is true to his Faerie self and who in his way loves her. Brought up among the Gentry, Jude has never felt at ease, but after a decade, Faerie has become her home despite the constant peril. Black’s latest looks at nature and nurture and spins a tale of court intrigue, bloodshed, and a truly messed-up relationship that might be the saving of Jude and the titular prince, who, like Jude, has been shaped by the cruelties of others. Fierce and observant Jude is utterly unaware of the currents that swirl around her. She fights, plots, even murders enemies, but she must also navigate her relationship with her complex family (human, Faerie, and mixed). This is a heady blend of Faerie lore, high fantasy, and high school drama, dripping with description that brings the dangerous but tempting world of Faerie to life.
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in. (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-316-31027-7
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Sept. 25, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2017
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