A charming and illuminating romance filled with swoony, timeline-altering chemistry.
A time-loop story centering on Bollywood dance, emotional growth, and finding true love.
In this stand-alone companion to 2023’s Kismat Connection, Raina Iyer faces the most important weekend of her senior year of high school. She’s not just competing for the last time in nationals of a Bollywood dance competition and trying to secure her third championship title, she’s also determined to win the event scholarship and prove to her mother that she can successfully pursue a career in dance. But things go haywire from the beginning, tanking Raina’s performance: Aditya Kumar, her boyfriend of four years and dance team co-captain, unexpectedly breaks up with her, and later she sustains a head injury mid-dance. All seems lost, but when she wakes up the next morning, Raina discovers she’s got another chance at living through the same day. Devarajan’s sophomore novel is a delightful romp through the competitive dance world, replete with nerves, sabotage, and oodles of romance. Raina and Aditya’s interactions crackle with chemistry, as Indian American Raina tries and tries again to save their relationship—all while facing the scrutiny and commentary of various aunties. Romantic tension and a range of emotions are on display as the duo work through their issues with heartfelt conversations—and lots of kissing. Raina’s journey to self-realization is enjoyable, and readers will feel invested in her.
A charming and illuminating romance filled with swoony, timeline-altering chemistry. (Romance. 13-18)Pub Date: May 20, 2025
ISBN: 9781335009944
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.
The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.
Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798987380406
Page Count: 538
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
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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