A textured, thoughtful work grounded in timely and enduring themes.
An Australian boy passionate about surfing is drawn into community activism in this contemporary work with a strong sense of place.
Seventeen-year-old Hesse Templeton lives with his mum in rural Shelbourne on Victoria’s west coast. He works at the surf shop owned by Theo Turnbull, a father figure and old friend of his dad’s. Seven years ago, Hesse’s father drowned in a surfing accident, but this tragedy hasn’t dampened Hesse’s enthusiasm for the sport. His quiet life changes when enigmatic Dutch exchange student Fenna De Vries arrives, and Hadron, a powerful local employer, announces they are selling the coal mine and power station. Despite his shyness with girls, Hesse forms a tentative bond with Fenna, drawing jealous attention from aggressive alpha male Jago Crothers. Meanwhile, Shelbourne Action, a grassroots environmental group his mother is involved with, is controversially campaigning to have the power plant closed. As Hesse grows increasingly educated—and concerned—about the harmful impact of fossil fuels, he becomes a youthful spokesperson (albeit a self-conscious and nervous one) for the movement. He also must reckon with the effect the closure would have on two of his best mates, Muslim refugees whose families are among many residents financially dependent on the plant. This quietly powerful novel explores the inner growth and external impact of a teen on the cusp of adulthood. Hesse’s uncertainty as he navigates his expanding awareness of life’s complications will resonate with many readers. Main characters are White.
A textured, thoughtful work grounded in timely and enduring themes. (Fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Oct. 11, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-922330-79-6
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Text
Review Posted Online: July 12, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
This grittily provocative debut explores the horrors of self-harm and the healing power of artistic expression.
After surviving a suicide attempt, a fragile teen isn't sure she can endure without cutting herself.
Seventeen-year-old Charlie Davis, a white girl living on the margins, thinks she has little reason to live: her father drowned himself; her bereft and abusive mother kicked her out; her best friend, Ellis, is nearly brain dead after cutting too deeply; and she's gone through unspeakable experiences living on the street. After spending time in treatment with other young women like her—who cut, burn, poke, and otherwise hurt themselves—Charlie is released and takes a bus from the Twin Cities to Tucson to be closer to Mikey, a boy she "like-likes" but who had pined for Ellis instead. But things don't go as planned in the Arizona desert, because sweet Mikey just wants to be friends. Feeling rejected, Charlie, an artist, is drawn into a destructive new relationship with her sexy older co-worker, a "semifamous" local musician who's obviously a junkie alcoholic. Through intense, diarylike chapters chronicling Charlie's journey, the author captures the brutal and heartbreaking way "girls who write their pain on their bodies" scar and mar themselves, either succumbing or surviving. Like most issue books, this is not an easy read, but it's poignant and transcendent as Charlie breaks more and more before piecing herself back together.
This grittily provocative debut explores the horrors of self-harm and the healing power of artistic expression. (author’s note) (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-101-93471-5
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2016
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
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