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THE WAY WE FALL

Readers will root for the believable characters struggling through heartbreaking situations.

An introverted girl's struggle with isolation mirrors her island's quarantine during a mysterious, deadly epidemic.

Kaelyn prefers observing wildlife to having a social life, as human interactions baffle the closed-off teen. She's in the odd position of pseudo–new kid, since she has moved back to her hometown, a small island community, after a few years living in a different city. Worse, she and her childhood best friend haven't spoken in years, and she's lost the chance to reconcile as he has left for school. Her personal resolution to connect with others comes right as getting near people becomes dangerous—a new virus is rapidly spreading by human contact, killing nearly all infected. Soon the government forcibly quarantines the island. Residents respond in a variety of ways, some trying to help him and others doing anything for personal survival. Crewe (Give Up the Ghost, 2009) utilizes a less-is-more approach, subtly closing the walls in on the characters as they run out of resources. The narrative consists of Kaelyn's letters she'll never send, addressed to her estranged best friend. While the entries sometimes read less like letters than prose, the focused perspective enhances the claustrophobic atmosphere. An abrupt ending neglects some story aspects but nicely completes Kaelyn's social arc.

Readers will root for the believable characters struggling through heartbreaking situations. (Science fiction. 12 & up)

Pub Date: Jan. 24, 2012

ISBN: 978-1-4231-4616-2

Page Count: 304

Publisher: Hyperion

Review Posted Online: Nov. 19, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2011

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IF HE HAD BEEN WITH ME

There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.

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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

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POWERLESS

From the Powerless Trilogy series , Vol. 1

A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.

The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.

Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.

A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)

Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023

ISBN: 9798987380406

Page Count: 538

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023

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