An empowering journey of self-actualization and a look at the intimate bonds that shape a person.
A Canadian high school senior grapples with life after graduation and his nuanced identity.
Eighteen-year-old Adrian Carter is on the brink of greatness. He’s graduating high school with honors; he earned a coveted scholarship; he’s a youth mentor at the library; his multiracial friend group is supportive; and his punk rocker girlfriend, Melody Woods, loves him unconditionally. These are undisputed blessings in Adrian’s life, so why does the future—and all its infinite possibilities—freak him out? Not only is Adrian struggling with how to talk to his parents about his past eating disorder, but he’s hiding his decision to apply to Cape Breton University’s community studies program, which he prefers to the business administration degree his father is pushing. When Mel asks Adrian to join her band on a national tour, he’s torn. Although he’s unsure about looming adulthood, the punk scene hasn’t been welcoming to a sensitive Black introvert. As the summer surges ahead, Adrian begins to realize the quiet, radical power of letting go. In this stand-alone companion to Worthy of Love (2019), the lingering aftermath of Adrian’s struggles with bulimia is carefully and empathetically explored, particularly the damaging consequences of his dad’s toxic masculinity. Adrian and Mel’s relationship is grounded in mutual respect, and they experience similar identity issues, as Mel is Asian Indian and implied White, and Adrian’s parents are biracial (Black and White).
An empowering journey of self-actualization and a look at the intimate bonds that shape a person. (Fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-4595-0681-7
Page Count: 200
Publisher: Formac
Review Posted Online: July 12, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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
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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