A relevant read that comes close to making substantial social revelations.
An influencer grapples with presenting an authentic life on social media instead of living one in this novel translated from French.
From her home in Quebec, 25-year-old Ellie watches her YouTube account, Quinoa Forever, grow to nearly half a million followers. From recipes to workouts and polished photos on Instagram, Ellie finds new fame thanks to her relationship with her handsome musician boyfriend, Sam, who was a finalist on The Voice. But her life starts to unravel when she meets kind, interesting Dave and she can’t stop thinking about him. In addition, someone from a dark part of her past resurfaces, and she begins to lose her grip on maintaining picture perfection. Ellie struggles with disordered eating, including obsessing over calories, bingeing, and misusing exercise; a supporting character accuses her of promoting orthorexia. There is some discussion of body positivity, but frustratingly, Ellie never fully recognizes the seriousness of her behaviors or stops participating in the perpetuation of the culture of fat-shaming. Beaudoin-Masse expertly weaves Ellie’s emotional distress—often taking the form of a quiet, burning rage and desperation—into the storyline. The pacing is well done, and the supporting characters are interesting. However, the book finishes on a cliffhanger that may leave readers searching for missing pages. The main characters are assumed White.
A relevant read that comes close to making substantial social revelations. (Fiction. 16-adult)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-77306-809-1
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Groundwood
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2022
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 prototypical survival story: after an airplane crash, a 13-year-old city boy spends two months alone in the Canadian wilderness. In transit between his divorcing parents, Brian is the plane's only passenger. After casually showing him how to steer, the pilot has a heart attack and dies. In a breathtaking sequence, Brian maneuvers the plane for hours while he tries to think what to do, at last crashing as gently and levelly as he can manage into a lake. The plane sinks; all he has left is a hatchet, attached to his belt. His injuries prove painful but not fundamental. In time, he builds a shelter, experiments with berries, finds turtle eggs, starts a fire, makes a bow and arrow to catch fish and birds, and makes peace with the larger wildlife. He also battles despair and emerges more patient, prepared to learn from his mistakes—when a rogue moose attacks him and a fierce storm reminds him of his mortality, he's prepared to make repairs with philosophical persistence. His mixed feelings surprise him when the plane finally surfaces so that he can retrieve the survival pack; and then he's rescued. Plausible, taut, this is a spellbinding account. Paulsen's staccato, repetitive style conveys Brian's stress; his combination of third-person narrative with Brian's interior monologue pulls the reader into the story. Brian's angst over a terrible secret—he's seen his mother with another man—is undeveloped and doesn't contribute much, except as one item from his previous life that he sees in better perspective, as a result of his experience. High interest, not hard to read. A winner.
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1987
ISBN: 1416925082
Page Count: -
Publisher: Bradbury
Review Posted Online: Oct. 18, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1987
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