This sequel to Timeless (2011) delivers plenty of romance with even more time-traveling excitement.
In the first book, 16-year-old Michele traveled back to 1910, where she met Philip and fell in love. Fate separated them. However, Michele is the daughter of time traveler Irving from 1888, who traveled to 1991 and fell in love with Michele’s mother. As a result, Michele is dangerously “time crossed.” Enter evil Rebecca, who loved Irving and hates Michele. Rebecca has stolen a time-travel key and gone rogue, intending to kill Michele. Meanwhile, Philip has returned to 2010 as an 18-year old, but he doesn’t remember forever-heartthrob Michele. A quick trip back into time reveals a clue to jar the new Philip’s memory. More bopping through time will occur as Philip figures out who he really is and Michele struggles to defeat Rebecca with the help of a modern-day medium and others from different times. If all this seems a bit complicated, readers who like romance can enjoy the novel without figuring it all out. Monir avoids the sentence-fragment writing conventions of many romances, yet she doesn’t shy away from conventionally clichéd romantic dialogue. As a nice plus, the author seems entranced with the architecture of New York, and her descriptions of spectacular buildings enhance the story. A pleasant if rather silly diversion. (Paranormal romance. 12 & up)
Pub Date: Jan. 8, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-385-73840-8
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Oct. 9, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2012
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
BOOK TO SCREEN
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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