Overall, nicely done.
A girl musician who starts remembering her past lives learns that reincarnation can be dangerous, but romantic too.
Cole, who plays the cello at world-class standards, meets a dark and handsome stranger when she visits the Tower of London. There she has a vision of her own execution. Griffon rescues her when she faints. On returning to San Francisco, she learns that Griffon also lives there, and he tells her that he and she are “Ahket,” people who can remember their past lives. Meanwhile, Cole remembers more and more about a previous life as a young Italian cellist who was innocently involved in a murder over 100 years ago. Also, she learns that her cello student is a woman who just may have been the victim and who may be seeking revenge. Cole finds herself strongly attracted to Griffon. Could he be a romantic partner from an earlier time? Omololu moves the action along, revealing her plot, narrating the past-life memories in italics and inserting intriguing clues into those episodes. The classical-music motif is a welcome addition to the plot, and the reincarnation theme stands out as a nice break from the usual paranormal subject matter. That Griffon is biracial, both indicated on the cover and revealed in the text, promises another nice break, but there is no textual follow-up.
Overall, nicely done. (Paranormal romance. 12 & up)Pub Date: June 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8027-2370-3
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Walker
Review Posted Online: March 27, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2012
Somberly beautiful.
A girl goes in search of her missing sister and discovers a strange hidden world of dreams.
Corin, who’s 18 and dark-skinned, strives to protect her 12-year-old sister, Elly. But life as a thief is full of struggle, poverty, and loss, even without Corin’s avoidance of other relationships. Elly clings to the promise of fairy tales, like the one that says a princess lies sleeping in an underground castle after pricking her finger on a spindle. After the sisters fight and Elly runs off, Corin searches for her in Gyldan’s old network of tunnels—and finds the tale is true: Cursed Princess Amelia, golden-haired, with eyes like “sea glass” and porcelain skin, lies asleep, surrounded by flowers. Corin enters the princess’ dreamworld—the place “where your subconscious desires come to life.” She meets Briar Rose, Amelia’s alter ego, who experienced her share of sadness and wanted to fall asleep. Also in the dreamworld is green-skinned Malicine, the nonbinary demon who, despite having placed the curse of eternal slumber on Amelia, is mostly friendly. All three are running from things they can’t face, though the dreamworld may not give them a choice. Pham’s debut, a Sapphic reimagining of “Sleeping Beauty,” explores mental health and asks a lot of readers as it seesaws between emotional confrontations, time jumps, and scenes where one character inhabits the memories of another, all of which demand intense engagement. Still, the ending is earned as well as positive.
Somberly beautiful. (content note) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2026
ISBN: 9798217113026
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Kokila
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
SEEN & HEARD
Exactly what the title promises.
A grieving teen’s devotion to romance films might ruin her chances at actual romance.
Liz Buxbaum has always adored rom-coms, not least for helping her still feel close to her screenwriter mother, who died when she was little. Liz hopes that her senior year might turn into a real-life romantic fantasy, as an old crush has moved back to town, cuter and nicer than ever. Surely she can get Michael to ask her to prom. If only Wes, the annoying boy next door, would help her with her scheming! This charming, fluffy concoction manages to pack into one goofy plot every conceivable trope, from fake dating to the makeover to the big misunderstanding. Creative, quirky, daydreaming Liz is just shy of an annoying stereotype, saved by a dry wit and unresolved grief and anger. Wes makes for a delightful bad boy with a good heart, and supporting characters—including a sassy best friend, a perfect popular rival, even a (not really) evil stepmother—all get the opportunity to transcend their roles. The only villain here is Liz’s lovelorn imagination, provoking her into foolish lies that cause actual hurt feelings; but she is sufficiently self-aware to make amends just in time for the most important trope of all: a blissfully happy ending. All characters seem to be White by default.
Exactly what the title promises. (Romance. 12-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-6762-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK TO SCREEN
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