A charming, humor-filled fantasy that reads like a fairy tale.
A cursed teen must help a prince travel to his wedding, surmounting obstacles along the way.
Risa Porto has spent her whole life being shunned by superstitious townspeople who believe she’s a Bad Thing born on a Bad Day who brings bad luck. Risa owes the witch Brunhilda a favor in exchange for midwifery assistance with her birth, and on her 17th birthday, Brunhilda comes to collect. She commands Risa to accompany Prince Javier, the king of Kheadon’s seventh son (affectionately known as el principito) to his politically arranged marriage to the daughter of a general in the mysterious kingdom of Madros. Prince Javi is an “unrelenting flirt” who easily falls in love with people regardless of gender. Though seemingly opposites in every way, Risa, whose hair is “the color of a cloudless midnight,” and brown-skinned Javi quickly develop a delightfully witty rapport, discovering they have more in common than they realized. Their journey takes them through brushes with numerous hazards, from ruthless mercenaries and bloodthirsty cult members to outlaws. The more Risa endures, the stronger she becomes—and the closer she gets to Javi, who’s betrothed to another woman, complicating matters. A meaningful element of Risa’s story that will stay with readers long after they turn the final page is her healing revelations about the power of forgiveness and self-love to break through all kinds of curses. Naranjo seamlessly weaves Spanish words and phrases into her Latine-inspired debut.
A charming, humor-filled fantasy that reads like a fairy tale. (Fantasy. 12-18)Pub Date: June 30, 2026
ISBN: 9780374394479
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: April 6, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2026
Exactly what the title promises.
A grieving teen’s devotion to romance films might ruin her chances at actual romance.
Liz Buxbaum has always adored rom-coms, not least for helping her still feel close to her screenwriter mother, who died when she was little. Liz hopes that her senior year might turn into a real-life romantic fantasy, as an old crush has moved back to town, cuter and nicer than ever. Surely she can get Michael to ask her to prom. If only Wes, the annoying boy next door, would help her with her scheming! This charming, fluffy concoction manages to pack into one goofy plot every conceivable trope, from fake dating to the makeover to the big misunderstanding. Creative, quirky, daydreaming Liz is just shy of an annoying stereotype, saved by a dry wit and unresolved grief and anger. Wes makes for a delightful bad boy with a good heart, and supporting characters—including a sassy best friend, a perfect popular rival, even a (not really) evil stepmother—all get the opportunity to transcend their roles. The only villain here is Liz’s lovelorn imagination, provoking her into foolish lies that cause actual hurt feelings; but she is sufficiently self-aware to make amends just in time for the most important trope of all: a blissfully happy ending. All characters seem to be White by default.
Exactly what the title promises. (Romance. 12-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-6762-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK TO SCREEN
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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