A gloriously absurd but overlong adventure.
Kosmos’ YA debut sees a schoolgirl rebel against an educational system that oppresses large-handed students.
Fourteen-year-old eighth grader Blaze Union lives on Puddin’ Head Island, a nation that venerates soccer and discriminates against the half of the population—those who have been deemed to have hands that are too large (known as “Bigs”). As a Big, Blaze is barred from leadership positions at school, only allowed to play defense in soccer, and generally treated as a second-class citizen. She rightly finds this unfair, and her ceaseless protesting and rebelliousness have caused her to be expelled from 22 different schools. Blaze’s burning ambition is to become education minister and reform the school system. She gets a chance to change things after she and her friend Chopper launch a punitive raid against inhabitants of Sweetie Island—the Puddin’ Head Islanders’ traditional enemies who, among other things, recently attacked the school with a cookie dough bomb. She and Chopper are judged to have performed a Noble Deed, and Blaze is rewarded by being made an “associate” education minister. She revels in the opportunity to be in charge, but the changes she attempts end in disaster. Eventually, however, she realizes the truth about anti-Big prejudice and the Sweeties conflict. Kosmos employs a conversational style throughout the narrative and portrays Blaze as larger than life but still relatable; the teen is fierce, determined, and angry at the injustice around her, yet also rather self-centered. Chopper does his best to temper her impetuosity, as Blaze’s intentions are good, but her methods more questionable—a point that’s made repeatedly. For the most part, though, a sense of silliness carries the day, and Blaze’s escapades are often delightfully funny. Still, the novel’s nearly 400-page length may prove daunting to some YA readers, especially as the pacing is uniform throughout. Anyone who enjoys wild shenanigans for their own sake, however, will appreciate the extra pages.
A gloriously absurd but overlong adventure.Pub Date: June 7, 2023
ISBN: 979-8988315100
Page Count: 402
Publisher: Wise Wit Press, LLC
Review Posted Online: July 21, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
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 compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters.
When star hockey player Alec Barczewski’s estranged childhood friend, Dani Collins, moves to town, they end up in a mutually beneficial fake-dating relationship that reignites old feelings.
Following her parents’ divorce, Dani and her mom move in with Dani’s hockey legend grandfather in Southview, Minnesota, where she spent a month every summer as a child and where her friendship with Alec grew. Between visits, the two were pen pals, but they eventually fell out of touch. Despite some tensions over their loss of friendship, the high school seniors reconnect. Desperate to get off Harvard’s waitlist, Dani needs another extracurricular activity, while Alec—whose reputation took a hit when a photo of him holding a bong appeared on social media—is eager to improve his tarnished image for NHL scouts. The pair strike a deal: They’ll fake date, making Alec look like a stable guy whose academically gifted girlfriend is related to hockey royalty, and in exchange, he’ll get Dani a team manager position that will catch the eye of Harvard’s admissions officers. Eventually, complicated feelings about their past, stressful family relationships, and their brewing romance boil over. Romance fans will love the deliciously tension-filled scenes between Alec and Dani, who are believable friends with heavy demands weighing on them. They feel like real teenagers, and readers will enjoy rooting for them as the well-paced story unfolds. Main characters present white.
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2025
ISBN: 9781665921268
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
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