A paranormal romance with unrealized chilling potential.
After his parents’ divorce, an 18-year-old British boy moves with his dad to a fixer-upper, but he soon discovers they aren’t the home’s only occupants.
Bitterness and anxiety about leaving his whole life behind weigh on James, but he’s determined to make a long-distance relationship with his boyfriend, Will, work, and he doesn’t blame his supportive dad for all the changes. During a video call with his witchy best friend, Nova, on James’ first night in the new house, Nova sees a strange shadow in the room behind him. The arrival of new residents always awakens Nathaniel from his slumber within the walls of his old bedroom. Over the centuries, he’s learned that connecting with the living leads to heartbreak, but something about James’ energy intrigues him. His plan to stay detached falls apart when James and his dad accidentally unbind the other ghost that resides in the house, an ancient and malevolent force that puts them all in danger. The chapters alternate between the perspectives of James and Nathaniel, at first successfully ramping up the suspense with the trickle of details that lead to the release of the violent spirit. Unfortunately, the characterization of the evil entity lacks dimension, and the narrative loses its thread of mystery. The romance suffers from rushed pacing in the last half of the book. Characters present white, and Nathaniel is transgender.
A paranormal romance with unrealized chilling potential. (Paranormal romance. 14-18)Pub Date: today
ISBN: 9781915585349
Page Count: 268
Publisher: Tiny Ghost Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: yesterday
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 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
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