A sweet delight.
A pair of teens who love murder mystery games band together to solve an actual crime.
Sixteen-year-old Virginia, who reads white, is in Florida for the funeral of the legendary Claude, owner of the roseate spoonbill–pink condo that’s known as Castle Claude. Virginia’s Shalimar-scented Grandma Lainey lives in this oasis, along with other retirees. Most of them are die-hard theater-loving folk who, like Virginia, enjoy acting out and solving murder mystery games, particularly one called Killing Me Softly. The reading of Claude’s will is a scripted affair, with a final prompt for a mystery to solve—“A little razzle-dazzle, but make it deadly,” as Grandma Lainey comments. Claude’s passing draws greedy would-be heirs: Claude’s disapproving sister and her nephew. Also in attendance is condo resident Mr. Gutierrez’s grandson, Felix, who presents Latine. Claude was “fairy godfather” to Felix and Virginia, but the two never met until now. Virginia’s easy, flowing badinage with Felix piques her interest: “Is he flirting or killing time?” When an actual dead body appears at Castle Claude, the pair try to solve the case and secure the condo’s future. There’s a whimsical lyricism to the story’s twists. Sellet makes supporting characters part of the fabric of this chosen family, adding a welcome dollop of agency and silliness to this truly enjoyable story at whose center lies the adorable bond between two awkward, lonely teenagers who find connection in each other and the extended Castle Claude community.
A sweet delight. (Mystery. 13-18)Pub Date: April 21, 2026
ISBN: 9781250360199
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2026
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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