A thoughtful story for reluctant readers about the power of forgiveness.
Friendships end for all types of reasons; sometimes they can even be mended.
In this sequel to Whisper to the Sky (2022), Sydney is still navigating the transition from being a bully at her old school on the reservation to being bullied by others in her new school in Minneapolis. She is being targeted less frequently, but her new friend, Finn, is not so fortunate. Finn is persecuted for being gay, and he reveals to Sydney how ringleader Jeremy was once his best friend, before he came out. When Jeremy, who is a football player, aims a punch at Finn but misses and instead hits Sydney, their whole world turns upside down. Sydney proposes that Jeremy’s punishment be helping her and her mother with household chores, something he agrees to reluctantly in order to save his future on the team. However, it gives them time to get to know one another outside of school. Sydney tries to forgive not only herself for her past actions, but her father and Jeremy for hurting her. This accessible title is engaging thanks to plenty of character development. Sydney has her faults and makes errors as she learns and grows, both in her relationships and in her understanding of herself, allowing the story to explore tough topics like homophobia. As in the previous book, Sigafus enriches the story with Ojibwa culture and vocabulary. Resources about bullying support the text.
A thoughtful story for reluctant readers about the power of forgiveness. (Fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-939053-42-8
Page Count: 110
Publisher: 7th Generation
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
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
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.
In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me, three characters tell their sides of the story.
Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind. (author’s note, content warning) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781728276229
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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