Publishers Weekly
★ 07/24/2023
Though laid-back California surfer Niko Castadi, 17, is excited to attend Manhattan’s selective Ogilvy Summer Art Institute, he’s nervous that he’ll stand out among the majority-white students. This worry is amplified by sometimes hurtful reminders that he’s the only Chinese American person among his white friends and half-siblings (“You’ll go great on their admissions pamphlets,” one of his friends jokes). Meanwhile, queer, ambitious 15-year-old Ali Tan, who resembles her white mother, is reluctant to divulge her Chinese heritage while at Ogilvy; she plans to use this opportunity to blend in with the crowd, unlike how she lives at home in her largely Asian Queens community. When Niko and Ali begrudgingly pair up for a personal history project, the two discover that they share a Chinese American father. As they explore their sibling connection, their artistic styles and their perceptions of each other clash, forcing them to confront their self-images and internalized biases. Via Niko and Ali’s alternating conversational narration, the Robinson authors, siblings, approach the experience of identifying with multiple cultures within homogenous environments in a simultaneously messy and multifaceted manner, organically building toward hard-earned and affecting self-revelations and making for an emotionally resonant collaboration. Ages 13–up. Agent: Caryn Wiseman, Andrea Brown Literary. (Aug.)
From the Publisher
*****STARRED REVIEW****** "Via Niko and Ali’s alternating conversational narration, the Robinson authors, siblings, approach the experience of identifying with multiple cultures within homogenous environments in a simultaneously messy and multifaceted manner, organically building toward hard-earned and affecting self-revelations and making for an emotionally resonant collaboration."—Publishers Weekly
***STARRED REVIEW*** "The authors organically weave in issues of cultural and artistic identity as well as the expected humor and romantic drama of residential programs, and the character development is refreshingly deep. This engaging story sensitively explores biracial experiences, family, and self-expression."—Kirkus
"Told in alternating perspectives, this contemporary story of literal found family will resonate with contemporary readers looking for a blend of conversations around identity, themes of family and boundaries, art, and a bit of mystery."—Booklist
Booklist
"Told in alternating perspectives, this contemporary story of literal found family will resonate with contemporary readers looking for a blend of conversations around identity, themes of family and boundaries, art, and a bit of mystery."
School Library Journal
11/10/2023
Gr 8 Up—Rioghnach Robinson and Siofra Robinson's novel transitions between the dual narration of 17-year-old Niko Castadi and 15-year-old Ali Tan. These two high school students from opposite ends of the United States are accepted into the prestigious Ogilvy summer visual arts program in Manhattan. Coming from very diametrically opposed upbringings, the teens soon discover they have more in common than anyone could have ever guessed. When family secrets come to light and bring the two characters together as estranged siblings who share a Chinese American father, the book reveals how much our families, friends, along with our combined upbringing and experiences, shape us into the people we are. The two teens work to see the similarities in each other despite their differences seeming far more numerous. Niko, Ali, and the supporting cast of characters will captivate readers as they learn about the teens struggles with cultural and societal identity, racial-based assumptions, and relationships, all while trying to navigate their workload at Ogilvy. VERDICT An enjoyable, heartwarming read. Through their strategic use of art-based references and terms, the authors paint a beautifully descriptive and vibrant world inhabited by endearing and relatable characters that readers cannot help but cheer for.—Megan McFarlane
Kirkus Reviews
2023-06-21
Two teens meet at an elite art program only to discover they’re half siblings.
Laid-back California surfer Niko Castadi, 17, stands out in his predominantly white community and family. Unlike his two younger siblings, Niko’s half Chinese due to a one-night fling his mother had, and he knows nothing about his biological father except that he was a sculptor named Bo. In her Chinese community of Flushing, Queens, ambitious, queer 15-year-old Ali Tan stands out too. With her honey-blond hair and light eyes, she can pass as white even though she speaks Mandarin and lives with her widowed Chinese immigrant grandmother. When the two teens meet at a five-week summer art institute in Manhattan, they’re initially unimpressed with each other—until an assignment throws them together and they uncover the truth about their shared father, a reclusive sculptor who isn’t in either of their lives. While Niko looks more Chinese (and deals with frequent microaggressions, like being compared to K-pop stars or asked where he’s from), Ali feels more Chinese (even though she occasionally lets people think she’s white). The authors organically weave in issues of cultural and artistic identity as well as the expected humor and romantic drama of residential programs, and the character development is refreshingly deep. Niko and Ali both mature, grow, and share tender and brutal truths.
This engaging story sensitively explores biracial experiences, family, and self-expression. (Fiction. 12-18)
