No one does doom like Neal Shusterman ( Thunderhead, 2018, etc.)-the breathtakingly jagged brink of apocalypse is only overshadowed by the sense that his dystopias lie just below the surface of readers’ fragile reality, a few thoughtless actions away. Occasionally interrupted by “snapshots” of perspectives outside the main plot, the narrative’s intensity steadily rises as self-interest turns deadly and friends turn on each other. Their neighbor Kelton McCracken was born into a survivalist family, but what use is that when it’s his family he has to survive? Kelton is determined to help Alyssa and Garrett, but with desperation comes danger, and he must lead them and two volatile new acquaintances on a perilous trek to safety and water. That is, until their parents disappear, leaving them completely alone. When the Tap-Out hits and the state’s entire water supply runs dry, 16-year-old Alyssa Morrow and her little brother, Garrett, ration their Gatorade and try to be optimistic. When a calamitous drought overtakes southern California, a group of teens must struggle to keep their lives and their humanity in this father-son collaboration.

K-pop helps a cellist develop musically and emotionally in this novel filled with humor and theatrics. The author incorporates Korean honorifics to convey a conversational tone and signal dialogue occurring in both languages.

Themes of responsibility, regret, and reconciliation weave through the intergenerational dynamics in Jenny’s family, adding dimension and depth. She also shares in the student performers’ duty-bound lives: Behind the glamour, they are burdened with obligations to their communities that can require sacrifice of their personal happiness. Attending Seoul Arts Academy, Jenny witnesses the institutional grooming of K-pop idols-including (surprise!) classmate Jaewoo, who, as it turns out, is popular band XOXO’s lead singer. When her mom, a widowed immigration lawyer, needs to return to Seoul to care for her dying mother, Jenny negotiates to go along for her first visit to Korea. An opportunity soon beckons, and the plot unfolds like a minidrama amid the Los Angeles Korean Festival, launching Jenny and her new acquaintance, Jaewoo, on an accidental adventure that foreshadows romance. Her Uncle Jay advises her to experience more of life and broaden her horizons. While her single-minded focus yields technical perfection, competition judges deem Jenny lacking in soulful spark.

A driven young woman learns to balance expectations and priorities with heart and passion.Ī vivid, comical scene of everyday life in Koreatown introduces narrator Jenny Jooyoung Go, a high school junior and classical cellist aiming for a top conservatory.

Xoxo by axie oh