A squeaky-clean romance for the youngest end of YA or readers who want nothing objectionable when it comes to love stories.
Fervor for the Civil War never dies; neither can one of its soldiers.
When Lori Chase and her hospitality-industry–driven parents move the family from a snazzy Philadelphia hotel to a bed-and-breakfast in Gettysburg, it’s not long before the 16-year-old begins seeing a dashing yet melancholy Union soldier (although the book’s title implies the opposite) named Nathaniel Pierce. And in just a few days’ time, Lori not only agrees to solve the mystery of Nathaniel’s death, but falls deeply in love with the soldier. Competing theories, involving treason, a Hatfield-McCoy–type family feud and a missing ring once owned by Abraham Lincoln, as well as numerous historical elements, keep the teen’s predictable, first-person, present-tense narration from growing stale. Also driving the tension are Nathaniel’s July 3 deadline (or he’ll have to wait again until next year’s re-enactment of the battle) and the unyielding attention of Evan, the very much alive B&B groundskeeper for the summer, who offers to help with the case. But Lori’s not the only one looking for clues. The dubious (and very much stereotypical) elderly housekeeping couple, Old Dryden and his wife, Bertha, lend a Scooby Doo feeling to the story (think of the show’s oft-used phrase: “I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren’t for you meddling kids”).
A squeaky-clean romance for the youngest end of YA or readers who want nothing objectionable when it comes to love stories. (Ghost story. 12 & up)Pub Date: June 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-545-42623-7
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Point/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: April 30, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2013
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
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
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