While that’s disappointing, fans of romance and those looking to diversify their shelves may be willing to forgive its...
Tired of crushing with no kisses, 17-year-old Molly decides to take a chance on love.
Molly has always felt inferior to her fraternal twin, Cassie: though both are white, Molly is brown-haired, brown-eyed, and fat in contrast to Cassie’s blonde slenderness. But Molly doesn’t hate her body—she’s just afraid other people do. The combination of these feelings of inadequacy with ordinary teen awkwardness is a recipe for uneasy interactions with boys. Molly’s 26 crushes have all been unrequited—but have they, really? When Cassie falls in love for the first time, and two eligible possibilities present themselves, Molly decides to risk rejection. Against the backdrop of the legalization of gay marriage in the U.S. and the planning of her moms’ subsequent nuptials, Molly struggles between choosing the boy she actually likes and the one who seems ideal. Themes of body image, rejection, first love, and the evolution of familial relationships—particularly between sisters—loom large. Molly is the queen of teen angst, and her voice may grate on readers. The cast is wonderfully diverse (family, sexual orientation, religion/culture, race, size, mental health), which is why it’s so sad that, though well-drawn, the characters are hard to connect with.
While that’s disappointing, fans of romance and those looking to diversify their shelves may be willing to forgive its foibles. (Fiction. 14-17)Pub Date: April 11, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-06-234870-8
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2017
The unbalanced plot stretches too far, over too long.
In this follow-up to Alice in Zombieland (2012), Ali Bell and her friends, fellow hunters of invisible spirit zombies, confront internal threats and endless relationship drama.
Just when Ali’s getting into a comfortable rhythm with her new zombie-fighting life, everything falls apart. Romantically, things are great with her boyfriend, Cole, right up until two out-of-state zombie slayers arrive. One is Cole’s gorgeous ex, and the other, a handsome “he-slut,” shares visions with Ali when he meets her eyes—just like the visions that kick-started Ali and Cole’s romance. Before Ali can figure things out, Cole has already dumped her, leading to pages of misery for everyone involved. Meanwhile, Ali is bitten during a zombie hunt and has a strange reaction, even after being given the antidote. In the mirror, she sees a sinister zombie version of herself that wants to take over, forcing Ali to struggle against her zombie counterpart’s hungers. Additional storylines feature relationship struggles for Ali’s best friends and a spy among the slayers feeding information back to the evil corporation that wishes to use zombies. The slow-paced story is plagued by tension-stealing tropes—the paranormal-romance-sequel formula in which the hero abruptly dumps the heroine and the zombie-movie cliché in which a victim conceals an infection. However, Ali’s female friendships are endearing.
The unbalanced plot stretches too far, over too long. (Horror/paranormal romance. 14-17)Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-373-21077-0
Page Count: 480
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Review Posted Online: Aug. 13, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2013
A paranormal love story with plenty of spark.
After her younger sister’s tragic death, Corrine and her family move from Chicago to their summer vacation home in New Orleans to rebuild their lives, which they quickly realize brings challenges and unexpected blessings.
Although Corrine’s sister’s death was ruled to be cardiac arrest, the 17-year-old is convinced that it was her mysterious, high-voltage touch that killed her sister. Determined not to harm anyone else, Corrine imposes a no-touching rule, which seems to work until she meets Rennick. Rennick is a local teen who, through his family history, is familiar with Corrine’s powers and their deadly nature. Together with Rennick, Corrine begins experimenting with her touch. She quickly discovers that although her powers are dangerous, if she can control them—no small feat—then she can provide miraculous healing. Corrine proves to be an engaging and believable narrator, weaving into her story snatches of teen angst, New Orleans vernacular and formal music terminology that is a holdover from her earlier life in Chicago, where she was a serious violinist. Predictably, there is an undeniable sizzle between Rennick and Corrine, which helps to balance some of the supernatural elements and mitigate the fact that the provenance of Corrine’s powers is not explained, which makes the text’s opening feel slightly undergrounded.
A paranormal love story with plenty of spark. (Paranormal romance. 14-17)Pub Date: Oct. 22, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-449-81283-9
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2013
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