With an all-access pass to cover a movie press tour, a teen journalist uncovers a celebrity scandal.
High school senior Josie Wright wins a competition to write a profile of up-and-coming actor Marius Canet for Deep Focus magazine. Marius is promoting his new film, and for Josie, leaving her home in Georgia for the two-week, multicity tour is the chance of a lifetime. Despite her anxiety, Josie holds her own during interviews and becomes smitten with Marius. But after a young actress shares a shocking secret—and subsequently other women come forward about their encounters with the same powerful man—Josie realizes she’s got a second, more explosive story on her hands. She’s determined to pursue justice, but at what cost? Garrett takes readers along for a wild ride as smart, socially conscious Josie learns that life is full of gray areas. The narrative deftly deals with several weighty topics at once, including mental wellness, sibling drama, body-image issues, and sexual and racial identity (Josie, her family, and Marius are Black; most of the other central characters are White.) This fresh, engrossing read will appeal to fans of Garrett’s debut novel, Full Disclosure (2019), as well as those new to her fast-paced prose, wit, pitch-perfect dialogue, and memorable characters.
An irresistible, unapologetically feminist story. (Fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: May 18, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-984829-99-3
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: March 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2021
Categories: TEENS & YOUNG ADULT FICTION | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
PERSPECTIVES
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
Categories: TEENS & YOUNG ADULT ROMANCE | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES
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A treat for mystery readers who enjoy being kept in suspense.
32
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Everyone believes that Salil Singh killed his girlfriend, Andrea Bell, five years ago—except Pippa Fitz-Amobi.
Pip has known and liked Sal since childhood; he’d supported her when she was being bullied in middle school. For her senior capstone project, Pip researches the disappearance of former Fairview High student Andie, last seen on April 18, 2014, by her younger sister, Becca. The original investigation concluded with most of the evidence pointing to Sal, who was found dead in the woods, apparently by suicide. Andie’s body was never recovered, and Sal was assumed by most to be guilty of abduction and murder. Unable to ignore the gaps in the case, Pip sets out to prove Sal’s innocence, beginning with interviewing his younger brother, Ravi. With his help, Pip digs deeper, unveiling unsavory facts about Andie and the real reason Sal’s friends couldn’t provide him with an alibi. But someone is watching, and Pip may be in more danger than she realizes. Pip’s sleuthing is both impressive and accessible. Online articles about the case and interview transcripts are provided throughout, and Pip’s capstone logs offer insights into her thought processes as new evidence and suspects arise. Jackson’s debut is well-executed and surprises readers with a connective web of interesting characters and motives. Pip and Andie are white, and Sal is of Indian descent.
A treat for mystery readers who enjoy being kept in suspense. (Mystery. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-9848-9636-0
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2019
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