Journeys are hard, and often there are beasts to face along the way. It’s a theme repeated many times in Myers’s story of Anthony Witherspoon, 17, home in Harlem after his first term at an exclusive New England boarding school. Ambivalent about leaving in the first place, now he feels as if his old neighborhood has already changed, or he has changed, or maybe he is already seeing things as an outsider. His girlfriend Gabi has become a drug addict and other friends seem lost or trapped. Harlem street life seems like a labyrinth, a monster maze, with beasts ready to snatch you up for making a wrong turn. Allusions to demons, Herod killing babies, the Black Plague, saints who sometimes fail you, and beasts who sometimes comfort lend a mythic air to a realistic story that offers no easy answers. If there are no magicians waving helpful wands, at least there’s the possibility of hope, promise, and belief “in a heart that sees beauty and a soul that prays for love.” (Fiction. YA)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2003
ISBN: 0-439-36841-3
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2003
A cute story populated with appealing characters.
Soon-to-be high school senior Harry has to choose between his charming ex-boyfriend and the new boy in town.
Harry doesn’t have time for boys this summer—he is focused on writing a screenplay to help him get into college and begin his Hollywood career. Then he meets Logan, who is staying with his aunt and uncle in the small Florida town of Citrus Harbor for the summer and working at the beach club Harry’s family frequents. Unfortunately, Grant, Harry’s ex, is back in town, and even though Harry likes Logan, there are still sparks and memories between him and Grant. The story is both modeled on and heavily references romantic comedy films ranging from the 1970s to the 2000s. Weber sets out to capture the feel of those classic rom-coms and largely succeeds. Everything from the meet-cute to the makeup kiss is sweet and satisfying. The other narrative influence is, surprisingly, superhero movies, reflected in the excerpts from Harry’s fictional screenplay that are interspersed between the chapters. This debut is a light beach read that scratches an itch for readers craving a gay romance that incorporates classic romance tropes. All main characters are implied to be White except for Harry’s best friend, Hailey, who is Filipina.
A cute story populated with appealing characters. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: May 3, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-335-42590-4
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Compelling relationships and characters dazzle like a quinceañera tiara.
Being a professional princess isn’t as glamorous as it’s cracked up to be.
Carmen Aguilar’s summer job is the only thing standing between her and the last credit she needs to graduate from high school. Working as a princess for hire at children’s birthday parties in Miami is grueling—and goes from bad to worse when Carmen’s ex-flame, Mauro Reyes, is hired to play the Beast to her Belle. Overwhelming awkwardness and the temptation to rehash the downfall of their relationship has Carmen on the brink of quitting when the whole company is hired to work the quinceañera of someone with whom Carmen is all too familiar: Ariana, her dramatic and entitled cousin. After a major falling out almost four years ago, the cousins and their families have barely spoken. The tías are hoping that this quince will mend their family ties and bring them back together permanently, but Carmen can barely stand to be in the same room as Ariana, let alone tolerate the months of rehearsals required for the big day. Tempers fly, old wounds are reopened, and romance is in the air as this princess endures complex family dynamics and the infuriating attention of her very own Prince Charming. Characters are well developed and dialogue crackles in this energetic tale. Carmen is Cuban and Puerto Rican, and many other characters are Latinx.
Compelling relationships and characters dazzle like a quinceañera tiara. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: March 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-06-299683-1
Page Count: 432
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: Dec. 14, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2021
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