Thank you for visiting.
This content is exclusive to subscribers only.
As a digital subscriber, you’ll receive unlimited access to Horn Book web exclusives and extensive archives, as well as access to our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database.
To access other site content, visit The Horn Book homepage.
Log In
Don't have a Horn Book Account?
Register Now
Register Now
Sheinmel, Alyssa B.
4 Reviews
(3)
YA
Wendy's quest to find her brothers, Michael and John, leads to a secret Pacific cove where homeless surfers live on the fringes of society. Her attraction to both leader Pete and to Jas, who deals a dangerous drug called "fairy dust," creates an intense love triangle. Sheinmel's overt allusions to Barrie eventually yield to an original story about grief and growing up.
Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac
(4)
YA
For seventeen-year-old Sethie, an Upper East Side high school senior coping with a distant boyfriend, drug use, and an eating disorder, her body is "an endless source of fascination and disappointment." Though parts of the novel send mixed messages and the present-tense narration aims for urgency and misses, the revelation of an element of unreliable narration makes an effective point about body dysmorphia.
Reviewer: Allison Cole
(4)
YA
Brooding, introspective Nick, a Manhattan high school junior, has trouble coming to terms with the recent discovery that his father has a twenty-nine-year-old son from a previous relationship. While Nick's voice isn't always believable and the lessons he learns are contrived, the exploration of issues surrounding adoption is sensitively handled.
Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann
(4)
YA
Sixteen-year-old Connelly knows that her father died, but she's clueless about how. Sensitive to her mother's feelings, she stopped asking; however, an unlikely friendship revives her curiosity. Through a bond with Jeremy, who also seeks comfort, she gains strength to find the truth. Though a plethora of fairy-tale metaphors grows a little tiring, the story is effective in its portrayal of emotions.
Reviewer: Lana Barnes
4 reviews
We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing.