by Anna Michels ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 24, 2016
A thinly drawn summer romance saved by its protagonist’s self-actualization.
When her longtime boyfriend suddenly dumps her, a girl embarks on a mission to get over him by kissing 26 boys.
Before even removing his cap and gown, Mark breaks up with Veda to be free from romantic entanglements in college. Veda is devastated, and it’s painfully clear to her best friends, Seth and Mel. Before Veda can waste her summer crying in bed, Mel formulates a plan to help her move on: Veda will kiss 26 boys, one for each letter of the alphabet. At first, Veda’s shocked, but soon she warms to the idea. It’s not long before she’s found a string of boys with names to fill her list. Along the way, however, she gets to know Killian, a boy who shares the same summer job and a penchant for George Bernard Shaw. He’s nothing like Mark, and his warmth and enthusiasm bring her back to life. As Veda’s feelings for Killian grow, so does her resolve to finish the challenge. She’s going to kiss the alphabet no matter how charming Killian is, no matter how it affects her reputation. Thwarted by a fluffy premise with too many boys with odd names, Veda’s story reads as contrived, stocked with a bland cast of characters with no notable diversity. But she eventually finds her footing and runs toward the person she needs to learn to love the most: herself.
A thinly drawn summer romance saved by its protagonist’s self-actualization. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 24, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-5246-5
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 16, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2016
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by Laura Nowlin ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 6, 2024
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
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by Laura Nowlin ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2013
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
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