Perfectly balanced action, reflection, and intrigue; sure to offer wide appeal.
A warrior and a religious scholar seek justice in this fantasy debut set in an Italian-inspired world.
Gia believes she’s found an ally in Ennio, Magna’s head templar. After Gia arranges a meeting between him and Lena, her sister who is a principessa and head templar of Alta, she is stunned to discover she’s just a pawn in Ennio’s plan to take control of Trestatto. Deciding to fight back, Gia instead becomes one of many victims Ennio traps in stone. One thousand years later, people honor Primo Sanct Ennio. At the temple, Milo is fascinated by the statue of an anonymous sanct who sacrificed herself, giving her life to save Trestatto. When he accidentally releases Gia from her imprisonment, they both find themselves questioning their identities and how to right the wrongs of a millennia. Gia and Milo share the third-person narration, giving readers emotional glimpses into inner conflicts over guilt and faith while shining a light on injustice and contemplating truth and the accuracy of historical narratives. Gia self-describes as fat; she endures some negative judgment for her size. Milo identifies as autistic; his methods for moving through the world are described, and the effort it takes him to mask is acknowledged. Well-detailed action sequences, including revenge plots and battles, are sprinkled throughout. A variety of skin tones are present, and queer people are a natural part of this society.
Perfectly balanced action, reflection, and intrigue; sure to offer wide appeal. (content warning) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 19, 2023
ISBN: 9781645678885
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Page Street
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
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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