An entertaining horror outing that’s socially aware and nerve-racking at all the right moments.
Young patients in a Bronx psychiatric ward battle vicious creatures in Kirby’s YA debut and series launch.
Tom Walton, though still a teen, revels in debauchery, courtesy of the privilege of being a wealthy New York senator’s son. But he’s hurting on the inside, so much so that he climbs a bridge and jumps off the top. Tom wakes up in a hospital in the Bronx; because of his suicide attempt, he is assigned to the psychiatric ward. He’d like nothing more than to go home, but he’s stuck there on a 72-hour hold. The situation gets worse when huge, clawed creatures raid the hospital and tear apart the humans inside during a power outage in the dark of night. Tom, his fellow patients in group therapy, and their therapist can only hide for so long before they must fight for survival. Not everyone trusts Tom, a newcomer and the lone white patient among the group (“None of this started going down until your white ass showed up”). Kirby aptly builds a foreboding atmosphere, starting with early signs of a bizarre, “electric red” glow. The powerless hospital provides a memorable setting; characters cautiously trek through unlit hallways as the monsters’ distinctive, creepy shrieks continuously resonate. Racism is a central theme, often playing out in therapy sessions that the group partakes in—even, oddly enough, with murderous creatures right outside the locked doors. While other characters in Tom’s group showcase diverse backstories and personalities, Tom himself is, unfortunately, an unlikable and clueless protagonist who seems more worried about acceptance than survival. Regardless, the author’s action-laden scenes pop, and intriguing theories about the monsters’ origin complement the remarkable open ending.
An entertaining horror outing that’s socially aware and nerve-racking at all the right moments.Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2023
ISBN: 9798989021109
Page Count: 196
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Oct. 2, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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 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
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
