An attempt to bring Regency romance into the present that fails to gain momentum.
An epistolary novel featuring two individuals separated by centuries, each pining for the one they can’t have.
In the present day, Josie De Clare hopes to use the months before university to figure life out. Recently broken up with her selfish boyfriend, estranged from her best friend, and mourning the death of her father, she is headed to Atteberry, a northern English village where her father secretly purchased a small estate. There she finds a box of unsent letters from 1821 written by Elias Roch, illegitimate son and heir of the late Lord Roch. While reading the letters Elias wrote to one Josephine De Clare, a girl he met once and became increasingly besotted with, and his unfinished novel imagining what could have been, she sees similarities between herself and Josephine and starts to fall in love with Elias. It takes Josie months to read through the letters and manuscript, and the progression of her feelings feels forced. The characterization is choppy; Josie, who has suffered bouts of isolating grief, is never fully rounded or meaningfully developed. Elias’ obsession with Josephine, whom he only met once, seems tenuous, as does Josie’s in turn falling in love with him. Fortunately, she does meet local boy Oliver, a promising real-life alternative. Main characters are White; Josie’s ex has a Muslim name.
An attempt to bring Regency romance into the present that fails to gain momentum. (author’s note, discussion questions) (Romance. 12-18)Pub Date: Feb. 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7852-3618-4
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Review Posted Online: Dec. 30, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.
The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.
Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798987380406
Page Count: 538
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
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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