Peak champagne-filled indulgence. “Malec” shippers will clamor for installments to come.
One true pair Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood get their own spinoff series.
Even when he’s on a glamorous and romantic holiday in Europe with his boyfriend, Alec, Downworlder excitement still finds its way to Magnus. This time, the immortal, bisexual, and biracial (Dutch/Indonesian) warlock stands accused of founding a human cult—the Crimson Hand—in the name of his demon father, Asmodeus. A mysterious gap in Magnus’ memories keeps the truth at bay. Rather than turning Magnus in to his fellow Shadowhunters for questioning, Alec stays loyal to his man. Sexual tension abounds as the two steal moments of sizzling romance while fighting demons and solving the mystery. Though ostentatious in description, setting, and detail, Chu (The Fall of Io, 2019, etc.) and Clare’s (Queen of Air and Darkness, 2018, etc.) collaboration effectively balances star-crossed love with a contagious spirit of fun. While the book-length focus pulls these former secondary characters deservedly into the spotlight, its authenticity is marred by the excessive cologne of its clichéd Adonises. However, the shifting third-person narration deepens characterization by exploring Alec’s internalized homophobia and Magnus’ past. The acknowledgments place the book within the timeline of the City of Fallen Angels (Clare, 2011). The cast of secondary characters notably includes additional queer characters as well as Shinyun Jung, a Korean warlock.
Peak champagne-filled indulgence. “Malec” shippers will clamor for installments to come. (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: April 9, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4814-9508-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: Jan. 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2019
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
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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