Engagingly and intelligently written, this absorbing novel should work as catnip to fashion-obsessed readers.
Romance and scandal dominate the lives of two young fashion models.
Former model Eve was on her way to superstardom when she walked away from the business. The tabloids said it was drugs, but Eve really left to get away from her abusive agent, Wes, in a sexual relationship with her although she was only 15 at the time. Now three years later, Eve studies photography at Columbia. Working with mentor Janessa, she meets 18-year-old Alex and 14-year-old Elana, both well on their way to stardom. Wes now represents Alex and insists that he pose as Elana’s boyfriend, telling everyone that she is 18, a ruse that works and leads to lucrative jobs. Meanwhile Eve and Alex secretly fall for each other, but their relationship seems doomed from the start, especially once Wes learns of it. Written in alternating chapters in Eve’s and Alex’s present-tense voices, the book works as a fascinating exposé of the modeling profession. Both the romance and the difficulties the teens face feel real, and the details the co-authors (Perini is himself a professional model) provide about the industry—working shoots while pinned into outfits, the constant jockeying for position—lend the story an air of authenticity.
Engagingly and intelligently written, this absorbing novel should work as catnip to fashion-obsessed readers. (Fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: May 5, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4022-9719-9
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
Exactly what the title promises.
A grieving teen’s devotion to romance films might ruin her chances at actual romance.
Liz Buxbaum has always adored rom-coms, not least for helping her still feel close to her screenwriter mother, who died when she was little. Liz hopes that her senior year might turn into a real-life romantic fantasy, as an old crush has moved back to town, cuter and nicer than ever. Surely she can get Michael to ask her to prom. If only Wes, the annoying boy next door, would help her with her scheming! This charming, fluffy concoction manages to pack into one goofy plot every conceivable trope, from fake dating to the makeover to the big misunderstanding. Creative, quirky, daydreaming Liz is just shy of an annoying stereotype, saved by a dry wit and unresolved grief and anger. Wes makes for a delightful bad boy with a good heart, and supporting characters—including a sassy best friend, a perfect popular rival, even a (not really) evil stepmother—all get the opportunity to transcend their roles. The only villain here is Liz’s lovelorn imagination, provoking her into foolish lies that cause actual hurt feelings; but she is sufficiently self-aware to make amends just in time for the most important trope of all: a blissfully happy ending. All characters seem to be White by default.
Exactly what the title promises. (Romance. 12-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-6762-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
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