Review by Booklist Review
Selznick's venture into YA is a welcome addition to his acclaimed collection of works; once again, he demonstrates a knack for weaving together multiple stories, mysteries, and magnificent illustration, both literal and figurative. It's the summer of 1986, and the book opens with Selznick's recognizable crosshatched black-and-white artwork, depicting surprisingly empty streets in the city of Rome and many wondrous (and soon-to-be relevant) landmarks of the ancient city. Danny, a 16-year-old American, finds a map after feeling called to a statue filled with notes, missives, and other paper bits, which leads him to another boy his age, Angelo (who planted the map for Danny, of course). Angelo, enigmatic in character and gifted with words, pulls Danny into the wonders of Rome, and a sweet romance blossoms between them. Now, what Danny thought was going to be a lonesome summer while his mother completes her book-preservation work and he wanders the city instead becomes one filled with joy and wonder that he'll reflect on for the rest of his life. Selznick meticulously weaves in cultural elements of the city, ancient and recent history, and mystery with his characteristic finesse, pulling together a tale not just of young love but of old romances, the power of a good story, and the lasting impact of what we leave behind.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Two boys meet, name one other, and fall in love in an extraordinary illustrated novel set in 1986 Rome--a dreamy YA debut from Selznick (Big Tree). An initially unnamed white-cued American 16-year-old who's staying in the city with his book conservator mother feels watched by the locale. Finding a hand-drawn map tucked into a broken statue leads the protagonist to encounter an Italian boy, "almost three thousand years old," who calls him Danny--and whom Danny calls Angelo. The two quickly become inseparable, secretly spending days together as Danny's remaining time in Rome counts down. The boys share cold fruit and tender moments while taking in various sites, and Angelo slowly recounts stories that add to the work's layers, among them the tale of Giovanni Argento, a sailor, and Dante Ferrata, an assistant to sculptor and architect Bernini. Brimming with electric-feeling affection and longing as well as musings on "stories, ...secrets, ...histories," it's an intricately woven Roman holiday: Danny marvels at "my life reflected back through the prism of Angelo," and readers will too. Bookending the work are elegant, closely hatched pencil illustrations that make ample use of chiaroscuro. Ages 12--up. (Apr.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 8 Up--In Rome for the summer of 1986, 16-year-old American Danny is left to explore on his own as his mother, a librarian, diligently works at a museum and book conservancy whose precise history has been lost in the mists of time. Danny feels an unexplained presence pushing him around the city and at last meets Angelo, a heavenly and mysterious curly-haired Italian boy who insists he is 2,738 years old. Wandering the city together, they share stories, uncover secrets, and fall desperately in love. Pages of Selznick's intricate pencil line drawings serve as bookends to his lyrical prose. From the novel's ethereal cover to the realistic but dreamlike spreads within, Selznick's art effectively captures both the story's setting and sense of profound, wistful longing. Readers will be as drawn to Danny's bashful curiosity and Angelo's charismatic charm as the boys are to each other, avidly following Danny as he counts down his remaining days in Rome, and with Angelo. VERDICT A mesmerizing ode to poetry, art, and love that stands the test of time, Selznick's first title for young adults is recommended for all collections.--Alicia Rogers
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Review by Horn Book Review
Selznick's first young adult work is imbued with romance and mystery, bookended with long, cinematic passages of textural, wordless, black-and-white illustrations in his signature style. A sixteen-year-old American transplanted to Rome for the summer of 1986 meets an enigmatic Italian teenager via a "speaking statue" and mutual admiration for obelisks -- in particular, Bernini's Elephant and Obelisk. Known for most of the book only by the names they bestow on each other, "Danny" and "Angelo" are quickly swept into a relationship built on devotion, risk-taking, and mythmaking -- inspired by the ancient city itself. A sprawling narrative through line seemingly conjured by Angelo details the tragic romance between the elephant obelisk's true sculptor and his sea-loving partner. This story is bolstered by several other tales of gay love unearthed by Danny and Angelo, some revelatory in nature. Yet Danny's reluctance to reveal his relationship to his paleographer mother creates a shadow of tension matched only by the young lovers' awareness of their inevitable separation at summer's end. In sensitively written first-person past tense (with occasional yearning passages told from a years-later perspective), Selznick builds thematic layer upon layer through poetic language, references to real-world art, and detailed imagery. Readers are guided expertly through a unified narrative and, along with Danny, toward a belief that art, history, and ancestors are evidence "that miracles could happen, and that love could blossom in the midst of impossible odds, even when people didn't want you to exist." Patrick GallMay/June 2025 p.97 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
For one summer, two boys immerse themselves in stories and each other as they discover Rome and fall in love. Danny and his mother never stay anywhere long. Her work as a book conservator drags him from one city to another, so nowhere feels like home. While his mom works, Danny, a white-presenting American who's unable to speak Italian, is left to wander through Rome alone. Lonely and restless on the empty, rainy streets, Danny is lured by a mysterious voice and a hand-drawn map attached to a sculpture to discover an obelisk on the back of a marble elephant. There he meets Angelo, an Italian boy with dark curly hair and a mind racing with wild ideas. At first, Danny isn't sure what to make of this boy who claims he's nearly 3000 years old, but Angelo's secrets and stories awaken new life inside Danny. For the first time he feels seen, and he knows Angelo needs someone to see him too. Their adventures unlock Rome--and Danny's heart. The book opens and closes with two-page spreads featuring Selznick's vivid line drawings which not only establish the setting but capture the mood of loneliness and longing. Much like Rome itself, Danny and Angelo's story, revealed in poetic prose, is layered in stories and history, each one essential to the whole. The characters are quirky, imaginative, and enigmatic; their curiosity and desire are as infectious as Roman fever. Intricate and wondrous. (bibliography)(Romance. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
