Given the current political climate, the characters’ struggles with the white establishment create a poignant and timely...
Five teenagers live for their art in this coming-of-age story of achievement, ambition, and heartache.
LaMarche’s latest novel (Don't Fail Me Now, 2015, etc.), which chronicles the tribulations of a group of friends in their senior year at a prestigious New York arts conservatory, is a pleasing mix of Fame and Gossip Girl. Each character narrates a section, addressing it to the titular “you,” who changes depending on the narrator: Joy, the black ballerina and a passionate perfectionist terrified of failure; Liv, a Puerto Rican actress whose party-girl ways have tragic consequences; Ethan, the nerdy, white Russian immigrant’s son, a playwright with Broadway ambitions; Dave, a white teen celebrity desperate for a fresh start away from his mistakes in LA; and Diego, a Latino dancer for whom ballet is a ticket to a better life. The author knows her subject matter well, and she effectively captures the essence of teenagerhood, from the hormones and the slang to the heartbreak and paralyzing self-doubt. As in a Shakespeare play, everyone is in love with the wrong person, and it takes most of the novel and some dramatic events for everyone’s feelings to be sorted out correctly. Of the five storylines, Joy’s—in which she copes with body shaming and other indignities that have kept the rarefied world of ballet largely off-limits to black women—is the most compelling.
Given the current political climate, the characters’ struggles with the white establishment create a poignant and timely socially conscious narrative. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-101-99893-9
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2016
A powerful story of family, belonging, and identity interlaced with thriller elements.
A wary teen wonders if she should run when people come looking for her.
Lucy Smith was raised by her white father, who said little about her mother. Following his death and her stepmother’s abandonment, Lucy entered the foster care system at 14. Her stepmother revealed that Lucy’s birth mom was Native American, but her social worker urged her to keep that quiet. Battered by her time in the foster care system, it’s no wonder that 18-year-old Lucy is cautious when she’s approached by a man who says he’s an attorney who helps Native American foster kids connect with their families and communities. He introduces her to a friend who reveals to Lucy that she knows her Ojibwe maternal relatives—but a wary Lucy refuses her offer to learn more. Someone is stalking her, after all, and the FBI is investigating the bomb that went off in the diner where she worked—an event she’s sure targeted her. This stand-alone from bestseller Boulley, who’s an enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, includes characters her fans will recognize from previous works. The action scenes are mediated by ruminations on the failings of the foster care system and strong portrayals of Lucy’s relationship with her father and her complicated identity. Ardent book lover Lucy is a sympathetic narrator whose strong sense of justice is coupled with a deep acceptance of others.
A powerful story of family, belonging, and identity interlaced with thriller elements. (content warning, author’s note) (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2025
ISBN: 9781250328533
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2025
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BOOK REVIEW
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A heartfelt holiday-themed story that rom-com fans will delight in.
After her town’s wildly successful fall festival and a busy drama club season, Sloane Sullivan is ready for winter break in New York City with her cousin, Ellis—but life has other things in store for her.
This stand-alone follow-up to Falling Like Leaves (2025), which centered on Ellis, follows Sloane, who loves wintertime but tries to avoid painful memories of her late father, who shared her enthusiasm for Christmas. Sloane’s mom, the mayor of Bramble Falls, surprises everyone by deciding to capitalize on the town’s popularity—videos of the Falling Leaves Festival have gone viral—and throw a Falling Snow Festival. When Mom pressures Sloane to help with the frantic, last-minute plans—dooming the New York getaway—she teams up with her best friend, the unconditionally supportive constant in her life, Asher Yoshida. After a meet-cute in which Sloane sleds into hockey star Micah Cook, her feelings for both boys complicate the festive season. Romance fans will swoon over the thoughtful and elaborate lengths Asher goes to in expressing his feelings for Sloane. Sloane’s fear of ruining their friendship and her grief over the loss of her father are palpable. The loving, joking interactions among Sloane’s friend group add dimension to the story, and readers will delight in the movie references woven throughout. They’ll also cheer Sloane as she figures out her feelings. Most central characters are cued white, and Asher is white and Japanese American.
A heartfelt holiday-themed story that rom-com fans will delight in. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2026
ISBN: 9781665989824
Page Count: 352
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: Aug. 3, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2026
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