A compelling urban fantasy about love, familial obligations, and one’s power over fate.
A memory spell goes awry, causing a witch and a nonmagical girl in Boston to forget each other every time they break up.
In order for Luna Gold and Aoife Walsh to date, Luna must lift the Veil for Aoife, allowing her to perceive the existence of magic. Luna, a fat Black lesbian witch, must also cast a memory spell that will cause Aoife, a biracial (white and Black) bisexual mundane, to forget about her if the two break up. But once the spells are cast, a flood of memories comes back—and both girls realize they’ve dated before. So begins a cycle of meet-cutes and breakups in which Luna and Aoife seem destined to find each other—but also destined to be pulled apart. Meanwhile, Aoife’s parents continue to cross her boundaries as they share information about her on their blog, The Wonderful Walshes, and pressure from Luna’s grandmother is mounting in anticipation of Luna’s taking her grandmother’s seat on the Witch Council. The girls are on a path to discovering whether they can make their relationship work, but equally as pressing is whether they’ll be able to stand up to their families. There’s an authenticity to the teens’ sweeter moments as well as their moments of struggle. Chapters alternate between their first-person perspectives, making for rich characterization that supports the action-filled storyline.
A compelling urban fantasy about love, familial obligations, and one’s power over fate. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2024
ISBN: 9780593354551
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 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
A fantasy with complex characterization that will build anticipation for the next entry.
Three young people find their places in a world of vengeance and destiny in National Book Award winner Tahir’s duology opener set in the multicultural world of her An Ember in the Ashes series.
Aiz, from the impoverished nation of Kegar, seeks revenge against Tiral bet-Hiwa, an air squadron commander who, as a child, murdered Aiz’s fellow orphans. Guided by a voice claiming to be Mother Div, Kegar’s first queen, Aiz escapes imprisonment after her failed assassination attempt on Tiral and embarks on a journey to free Mother Div’s trapped spirit. In the Martial Empire, Sirsha, a skilled tracker with magical abilities who’s been banished from her homeland, is saved by a stranger who hires her to hunt an unnatural killer. Quil, the crown prince of the Martial Empire, faces an invasion by the Kegari and the lingering threat of a mysterious force responsible for recent murders, including those of two of his loved ones. As the storylines converge, Sirsha and Quil cross paths, leading to revelations about the insidious force. The story explores the blurred line between good and evil and the lengths one will go to for a better life. Tahir’s deep and intricate worldbuilding requires time for readers to fully grasp. Following a slow start, the plot engages as pieces fall into place, leading up to an unexpected ending. The beautiful writing compensates for the romantic relationships, which develop quickly and somewhat inorganically.
A fantasy with complex characterization that will build anticipation for the next entry. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9780593616949
Page Count: 496
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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