A campy and entertaining page-turner.
Fifty years after terrorizing the lonely and recently single, a serial killer has returned—and he’s targeting queer students at an Arizona high school.
White, femme Dearie and Latine jock hottie Cole are gay besties and seniors at Stone Grove High, where everyone is talking about Mr. Sandman, the subject of America’s No. 1 streaming show. When the school’s Queer Club members start receiving text messages from the Sandman saying they’re next, and they and others wind up murdered all over town, Cole and Dearie are framed for the killings. They’re already controversial among their peers, accused by some of “destroying the queer community” with their sexually free behavior as well as confusing people with their best-friendship that includes overt physical affection and occasional hookups. The book is told from the alternating perspectives of Cole and Dearie as they navigate emotional manipulation from an abuser while trying to figure out who is behind a new round of gruesome murders. They fight to clear their names while still looking smart, finding love, and grappling with the built-up traumas of racism, bullying, and more. To catch this killer, the club members will have to stick together to stay safe through the power of queer solidarity. This suspenseful slasher with a diverse, well-developed LGBTQ+ ensemble cast is also a catty, comedic celebration of queer community and identity.
A campy and entertaining page-turner. (author’s note) (Slasher. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2023
ISBN: 9780593526583
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: May 25, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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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