PositiveBooklistCaptivating ... The author modestly recounts the rigorous education she procured while simultaneously assuming guardianship of her younger brother and financially supporting her family back in Mexico. This is an inspirational example of dedication, devotion, and triumph over multiple oppressive juggernauts.
Daniel Hornsby
PositiveBooklistPlayful ... Charles’ sardonic tone and rapier wit, however, provide scant cover for his insecurity and desperation for parental approval ... Capitalizes on the hot trend of vilifying the wealthy and uncontrolled tech but maneuvers among them in thoroughly entertaining and inventive ways.
Samantha Leach
MixedBooklistWhat begins as an intimate memorial grows to a scathing indictment of a teen rehabilitation system that the author describes as not only ineffective but deliberately predatory. Leach also provides the reader with an interesting insider perspective on social media as an aggregator and amplifier of shared grief. Leach is clearly passionate about her loss, but an overreliance on opinion, broad generalizations, and emotional conjecture conspire to undermine her objectivity, thereby sacrificing comprehensive balance.
Lisa Belkin
PositiveBooklistReaders will be grateful for the prefacing family trees to disentangle an intricate web of relationships. True-crime aficionados will savor the detailed depiction of the crime and references to the notorious Leopold and Loeb murder case that tangentially contributed to its outcome.