Readers’ credulity seems to be the required element to enjoy this messed-up mystery.
A murder mystery with a paranormal twist.
Unfortunately, the paranormal twist does not serve the mystery plot well. White prep school scholarship student Nicole Morgan is a magnificent violinist but socially inept, so she’s surprised when the handsome, white, and wealthy Chace Porter seems to be attracted to her. But Chace has a girlfriend, beautiful and wealthy bronze-skinned Lana Rivera, Nicole’s roommate, who claimed him when he arrived on campus. Nicole and Chace meet secretly, however, intending eventually to confess to Lana, but before they can, Chace is found murdered. Nicole becomes the chief suspect when the police find a photo strip of the two of them on Chace’s body; later, the murder weapon is found planted in Nicole’s room. Can Nicole prove her innocence? Moving her narrative back and forth through time and different characters’ perspectives, Monir hits every possible convention: the posh prep school; the talented, innocent scholarship student; the wealthy, powerful, and, of course, modelworthy appearances of most characters; the forbidden romance; the overwrought writing. When she suddenly throws a completely unexpected paranormal element into the story, she departs from the basic mystery/suspense plot and seems to be writing another genre altogether.
Readers’ credulity seems to be the required element to enjoy this messed-up mystery. (Mystery. 12-18)Pub Date: Dec. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-385-74390-7
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2016
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
Exactly what the title promises.
A grieving teen’s devotion to romance films might ruin her chances at actual romance.
Liz Buxbaum has always adored rom-coms, not least for helping her still feel close to her screenwriter mother, who died when she was little. Liz hopes that her senior year might turn into a real-life romantic fantasy, as an old crush has moved back to town, cuter and nicer than ever. Surely she can get Michael to ask her to prom. If only Wes, the annoying boy next door, would help her with her scheming! This charming, fluffy concoction manages to pack into one goofy plot every conceivable trope, from fake dating to the makeover to the big misunderstanding. Creative, quirky, daydreaming Liz is just shy of an annoying stereotype, saved by a dry wit and unresolved grief and anger. Wes makes for a delightful bad boy with a good heart, and supporting characters—including a sassy best friend, a perfect popular rival, even a (not really) evil stepmother—all get the opportunity to transcend their roles. The only villain here is Liz’s lovelorn imagination, provoking her into foolish lies that cause actual hurt feelings; but she is sufficiently self-aware to make amends just in time for the most important trope of all: a blissfully happy ending. All characters seem to be White by default.
Exactly what the title promises. (Romance. 12-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-6762-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
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