This quiet debut with a powerful message leaves readers plenty to ponder.
The departure of an alternative school’s empathetic teacher leaves her vulnerable students feeling bereft.
Creighton was 5 in 1989 when his mom left to pursue a singing career. Now 14, he and his emotionally distant dad settle in Breton, British Columbia. Behind in school and socially disengaged, Creighton enrolls in a tiny alternative school for students whose burdens include family dysfunction, poverty, abuse, and trauma. Bolstering students’ self-esteem, validating them, and helping them explore their interests, Ms. Hayworth prioritizes emotional needs over a strict academic agenda or punitive discipline. Slowly and unevenly, each young person—even bully Carlos—begins to heal. Creighton befriends traumatized Schooner and bonds with two older teens: sexual-assault survivor Carin, whose single mom has cancer, and Ratchet, sheltered and employed by a caring farmer after being taken from his abusive parents. These relationships anchor Creighton and help strengthen his relationship with his dad. But when Ms. Hayworth goes on maternity leave and is replaced by an affectless, uncaring teacher, the students relapse and catastrophe looms. The narrative pacing is slow but purposeful. The memorable characters, all cued as White, are drawn with affection and are scarred, flawed, and fully human. Their needs are great, their expectations modest as they hunger for connection and security. As Ms. Hayworth says, “it’s hard to give to others what you haven’t received yourself.”
This quiet debut with a powerful message leaves readers plenty to ponder. (author Q&A) (Fiction. 12-16)Pub Date: Nov. 15, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-88995-638-4
Page Count: 480
Publisher: Red Deer Press
Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2021
Will both entertain and encourage reflection.
In Mersailles, “Cinderella” is more than just a fairy tale: It’s the basis for a harsh monarch’s throttlehold on his kingdom.
Sophia is turning 16, the age at which young women must attend King Manford’s annual ball, at which they are scrutinized by and married off to male attendees. Any young woman who has not been claimed after her third ball is destined to spend the rest of her days engaged in hard labor. But being chosen can be its own curse in a society where domestic violence is common. Sophia is a beautiful Black girl in love with dark-haired Erin, one of her best friends. While racial diversity is a natural part of this world, the same acceptance does not exist for those who defy rigid gender norms: Anything other than heterosexual desire is strictly forbidden, and while Sophia wishes to escape as a couple, Erin is too fearful. After fleeing the ball, Sophia stumbles across Cinderella’s mausoleum, hidden in the woods. There she meets rebellious Constance, an attractive young red-haired woman with a very personal motivation for sabotaging the monarchy. As the two grew closer—and sparks fly—they discover secrets that could end Manford’s cruel reign. This promising debut deals with themes around rebellion and empowerment as well as the toll that rejecting the status quo can take on relationships. The atmospheric setting is a particular strength, and the twists and turns will keep readers in suspense.
Will both entertain and encourage reflection. (Fantasy. 12-16)Pub Date: July 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0387-9
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: April 26, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet, undemanding summer read.
The summer before her senior year, 17-year-old Avery unexpectedly finds romance on a family vacation.
Avery’s family spends their summers away from Los Angeles, enjoying the outdoors; this year it will be two months at a remote resort in the California woods. Her 15-year-old sister, Lauren, an outgoing video blogger, is distraught by the camp’s lack of internet access while go-with-the-flow Avery is just hoping for no drama, upset after having found out her best friend kissed her ex-boyfriend. An initial miscommunication makes things tense with handsome camp staff member Brooks—until Avery agrees to help him write songs for a band competition in exchange for his helping her step out of her comfort zone. Of course, staff aren’t supposed to fraternize with campers, which leads to much sneaking around, though Avery and her sister attend several staff parties thanks to befriending lifeguard Maricela and drummer Kai. Avery learns to find her voice, both metaphorically—she feels her parents don’t take her seriously—and literally, as she must overcome her stage fright when asked to step in for the vocalist in Brooks’ band when they compete in the festival. Avery’s complicated relationship with her family feels underdeveloped, though the love story with Brooks hits all the right notes. Fans of West will enjoy this watered-down Dirty Dancing tale, with its swoony romance and uncomplicated plot. Most characters are White; Maricela is implied Latinx, and Kai is Polynesian.
A sweet, undemanding summer read. (Romance. 12-16)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-17626-9
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
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