A dark, creepy, and complex fairy-tale retelling.
Snow White awakens to a grim and unbalanced world.
The land of Garedenne survives through balancing the power of Nature among its territories, each of which is under the guidance of a Seasonkeeper and a king. Snow White, princess of Roanfrost, expected to become the new Seasonkeeper, but after her mother died, she ended up with a stepmother, Queen Grimhilde, who cursed her. Snow awakens, pushes her way out of the glass coffin she has spent two decades trapped in, and encounters a land in which animals, plants, and even people have been devastated by the Blight. Realizing she must claim the role of Seasonkeeper and return balance to the land, Snow seeks aid from her old friends the mossfolk, as well as a mysterious young man who braves the Blight-stricken Enchanted Forest. But her journey is fraught with surprises, including a slow-burn queer romance. The strong worldbuilding and creative magic of the kingdoms add intriguing depth to the familiar tale. Nature-related themes—the dangers of trying to control it, the need to share its magic equally, and societal constraints on one’s wild, natural self—are smoothly built into the story, along with explorations of the dangers of hoarding power and unquestioningly believing in hierarchies and the impact of familial mistakes. Hannah also powerfully uses the original story’s iconic mirror to disclose revelatory visions from the antagonist’s past. Major characters present fantasy white.
A dark, creepy, and complex fairy-tale retelling. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Feb. 25, 2025
ISBN: 9781250884497
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 9, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters.
When star hockey player Alec Barczewski’s estranged childhood friend, Dani Collins, moves to town, they end up in a mutually beneficial fake-dating relationship that reignites old feelings.
Following her parents’ divorce, Dani and her mom move in with Dani’s hockey legend grandfather in Southview, Minnesota, where she spent a month every summer as a child and where her friendship with Alec grew. Between visits, the two were pen pals, but they eventually fell out of touch. Despite some tensions over their loss of friendship, the high school seniors reconnect. Desperate to get off Harvard’s waitlist, Dani needs another extracurricular activity, while Alec—whose reputation took a hit when a photo of him holding a bong appeared on social media—is eager to improve his tarnished image for NHL scouts. The pair strike a deal: They’ll fake date, making Alec look like a stable guy whose academically gifted girlfriend is related to hockey royalty, and in exchange, he’ll get Dani a team manager position that will catch the eye of Harvard’s admissions officers. Eventually, complicated feelings about their past, stressful family relationships, and their brewing romance boil over. Romance fans will love the deliciously tension-filled scenes between Alec and Dani, who are believable friends with heavy demands weighing on them. They feel like real teenagers, and readers will enjoy rooting for them as the well-paced story unfolds. Main characters present white.
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2025
ISBN: 9781665921268
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
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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