A lighthearted summer romance with an engaging narrator and thoughtfully crafted themes.
An Italian Scottish teenager struggles to find her place.
Sixteen-year-old Livia Nardelli leaves Edinburgh to travel to Rome with her mother after her grandmother falls and ends up in the hospital. She’s excited to be part of her nonna’s life again and to take part in the family business, a bar that’s more of a cafe—“somewhere neighborhood pensioners go to gossip over coffees and pastries.” Livia hopes to prove she’s not an outsider in her Italian family or Italian culture. But she quickly learns she has competition for Nonna Adelina’s affection. Giulio has been helping out at the bar, and Livia quickly grows suspicious of this charming local. As she discovers new facets of herself and navigates tense family dynamics, new friendships, and concerns about the bar’s finances, she realizes she may have judged Giulio too hastily. This pleasant, fast-paced romance offers just the right amount of tension, and the characters’ relationships progress at a natural pace. Livia is a likeable and charming character: Her sense of humor and desire to do good are endearing qualities. Through Livia’s connection to new friend Kenzi, who was born in Italy to Moroccan parents, the novel celebrates immigration and explores the impact it has on second-generation children. De Luca’s story extends beyond the central romantic relationship, capturing what it means to truly love yourself and the family around you.
A lighthearted summer romance with an engaging narrator and thoughtfully crafted themes. (Romance. 13-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2026
ISBN: 9798225038427
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Chicken House/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
PERSPECTIVES
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
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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
