Next book

THIS IS OUR PLACE

A sweet, introspective story about queer teens.

A character-driven book translated from Portuguese about making your home where your heart is.

Told in timelines set decades apart, the novel follows the lives of three teen residents of 8 Sunflower St. in the fictional rural Brazilian city of Lagoa Pequena. Expressing itself in a delightful voice, the narrator is the house itself; through it, readers get to know Ana, Greg, and Beto. In the 2000 storyline, Ana is a lesbian with a girlfriend who still hasn’t worked up the nerve to come out to her dad. Just when things are starting to look up, she finds out that they are moving to Rio de Janeiro for his new job. In 2010, Greg is sent to his aunt’s house while his divorcing parents work through things. Awkwardly, the person he feels closest to is the young woman who works as his plastic surgeon father’s personal assistant. But in this new place, Greg meets someone new: Tiago, another gay teen who may or may not fit into his plan of finally having his first kiss. In 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic starts, and Beto is stuck with his mother and sister, navigating his complicated relationships with them. He’s also trapped in a city he hates for the narrow gender roles the residents perpetuate. The reflective stories offer different perspectives on the lives and struggles of the protagonists, with heartfelt moments that readers who appreciate quiet books will enjoy.

A sweet, introspective story about queer teens. (Fiction. 13-18)

Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2022

ISBN: 978-1-338-81864-2

Page Count: 320

Publisher: PUSH/Scholastic

Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2022

Next book

STALKING JACK THE RIPPER

Perhaps a more genuinely enlightened protagonist would have made this debut more engaging

Audrey Rose Wadsworth, 17, would rather perform autopsies in her uncle’s dark laboratory than find a suitable husband, as is the socially acceptable rite of passage for a young, white British lady in the late 1800s.

The story immediately brings Audrey into a fractious pairing with her uncle’s young assistant, Thomas Cresswell. The two engage in predictable rounds of “I’m smarter than you are” banter, while Audrey’s older brother, Nathaniel, taunts her for being a girl out of her place. Horrific murders of prostitutes whose identities point to associations with the Wadsworth estate prompt Audrey to start her own investigation, with Thomas as her sidekick. Audrey’s narration is both ponderous and polemical, as she sees her pursuit of her goals and this investigation as part of a crusade for women. She declares that the slain aren’t merely prostitutes but “daughters and wives and mothers,” but she’s also made it a point to deny any alignment with the profiled victims: “I am not going as a prostitute. I am simply blending in.” Audrey also expresses a narrow view of her desired gender role, asserting that “I was determined to be both pretty and fierce,” as if to say that physical beauty and liking “girly” things are integral to feminism. The graphic descriptions of mutilated women don’t do much to speed the pace.

Perhaps a more genuinely enlightened protagonist would have made this debut more engaging . (Historical thriller. 15-18)

Pub Date: Sept. 20, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-316-27349-7

Page Count: 336

Publisher: Jimmy Patterson/Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: May 31, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2016

Next book

IF ONLY I HAD TOLD HER

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

Close Quickview