Equal parts thriller, mystery, romance, and problem novel, Wilder grabs the reader from the start but ultimately fails to...
Jason Wilder can’t help but be intrigued when he is joined one day in in-school suspension by the mysterious and charismatic new girl, Melissa Young. But that’s not her real name.
With her Chinese features, British accent, and edgy attitude, Meili Wen (Melissa’s actual name) is a sore thumb at Unionville High. Jason (assumed to be as white as everyone else in town), suspended and on probation for starting a fire, has hit rock bottom: His alcoholic mom has moved to Florida, he’s living alone, he probably won’t graduate in June, and he’s being bullied by a bunch of boys from school. Hanging out with Meili becomes his only escape. After a run-in with the police, Meili goes into hiding—at Jason’s house—and her past begins to be revealed. Little by little, it becomes clear that no one’s story is truly reliable. What begins as a psychological thriller takes a turn into star-crossed romance and then descends into a portrait of mental illness. The psychological drama comes to a not-quite-satisfying close with some lingering questions, but sadly, it may be the repeated images of graphic violence that will leave the greatest impression on readers after the book is closed.
Equal parts thriller, mystery, romance, and problem novel, Wilder grabs the reader from the start but ultimately fails to create a meaningfully cohesive story. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 13, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-374-30925-1
Page Count: 319
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Sept. 1, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2018
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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