A poignant, often insightful tale whose reliance on tropes keeps it from feeling fully alive.
After devastating diagnoses, two 17-year-old Texans wind up in a clinical trial where they find their own love story.
June has always wanted to be a writer: She’s interested in love stories, in particular, like the one her parents had. But a diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia puts a hitch in that plan; as her cancer worsens, she heads to Harmony Ranch, which is near Austin, for a clinical trial. There, June finds friendship, which has often been a struggle for her, as well as first love with star football player Jesse, who also has AML. With their awareness that they may not have much time left, June and Jesse’s relationship quickly deepens. June, despite seeming strong in the face of cancer, is vulnerable in her self-conscious insecurity about the impact of cancer treatments on her appearance; Jesse is the epitome of a country boy, with loads of charm and swagger. Cole does a remarkable job of portraying the realities of cancer, including often less-addressed topics, such as how illness can affect relationships with friends and family members, who may not understand what their loved ones are going through and who experience their own hardships. However, the novel is hindered by cliches, including representations of Texas and its inhabitants that feel two-dimensional and detract from the story. The leads present white.
A poignant, often insightful tale whose reliance on tropes keeps it from feeling fully alive. (playlist) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: July 29, 2025
ISBN: 9781728297101
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Bloom Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
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
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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