Engaging and immersive—a delight from start to finish.
A water nymph and an exorcist form a strange alliance.
Gisela is a rusałka—a girl who’s bound in spirit form to the river where she died. After almost a year of her watery existence, she longs to become human again and return to her family. According to water goblin Wojciech, the rusałki’s protector and father figure, this requires a kiss from a mortal. To local exorcist Kazik, however, Gisela’s love-seeking antics are a constant source of irritation and alarm. He finally captures her, but at the triumphant moment, his powers fade, leaving him unable to exorcise her. Gisela—now in frog form—escapes with the help of Aleksey, a handsome human boy. When exorcist and rusałka cross paths again, Gisela proposes an accord: If Kazik helps her get the kiss she needs, she’ll stop bothering him. She even has a new romantic fixation on her savior, Aleksey. But Aleksey is Kazik’s crush—and might not be all that he seems. As they plot together, Gisela and Kazik find themselves drawn both to one another and to Aleksey. Lovingly detailed Slavic folklore forms the basis of this gripping fantasy, with particular focus on the water and forest spirits. The mystery of Gisela’s death provides a strong and unsettling undercurrent, helping to up the ante and ground the romantic hijinks. The subversion of a typical love triangle will also delight readers.
Engaging and immersive—a delight from start to finish. (pronunciation guide, content note, resources) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2024
ISBN: 9781682637364
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Peachtree Teen
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2024
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 worthy second-chance romance.
In this follow-up to 2021’s Better Than the Movies, a 20-year-old college freshman gets a second chance at his dreams.
After the death of his father and his mother’s subsequent physical and emotional disappearance, Wes Bennett left behind all of his plans and the girl he made them with to go home and take care of Sarah, his younger sister. But now, Sarah has graduated, his mom is back on her feet, and by some miracle, Wes has an offer to pitch for UCLA’s baseball team. Liz Buxbaum, the girl he’s always loved, works for the university’s athletic department, taking photos and video of the team for social media, which means that maybe he can have a second chance at love, too. But since Wes left, Liz has made every effort to protect herself from ever feeling that broken again; there’s no room for love, because she doesn’t believe in it anymore. Or she doesn’t want to. This second-chance sports romance includes fake dates, quippy and quirky best friends, real heartache, and the sweet ache of first love. The clever dialogue keeps readers from drowning in the main characters’ emotional push-and-pull. Reading the first novel isn’t necessary for appreciating this one, although knowing the full history between Wes and Liz will only add to the ache and longing readers feel from and for them. Main characters are cued white.
A worthy second-chance romance. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781665947138
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
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