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 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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