An original and captivating coming-of-age tale of trauma and resilience
Four teenagers whose sense of normalcy shattered when they became the only survivors of a bus bombing in New York City are invited to an artist’s re-creation of the damaged vehicle.
Golden and Chandler were together on the bus when it exploded. Since the event, a distance has grown between them that is only exacerbated by the invitation. Chan is stoic and craves stability, which he finds in their communal Kentucky home known as the Hive. Golden finds the Hive—and their relationship—stifling. Her thoughts and feelings keep drifting toward Rudy, another survivor who briefly caught her fancy that fateful day before the explosion. When Chandler refuses to attend the art opening, Golden and her uber-confident friend Becky hit the road, with the compass pointing toward Rudy in Florida. There, they also collect Caroline—who is Rudy’s cousin, the final survivor, and the girlfriend of the bomber. Caroline cannot stop heaping punishment on herself. What follows is a messy road trip where hearts break, secrets are revealed, burdens are dropped, and each character stumbles closer toward forgiveness. The terrifyingly realistic plot and compelling characters (seemingly all white but diverse in physical abilities—Rudy uses a wheelchair—and sexuality—two girls are in a same-sex relationship) will immediately hook readers’ attention even as the dialogue at times meanders into magniloquence.
An original and captivating coming-of-age tale of trauma and resilience . (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 13, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-239854-3
Page Count: 400
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
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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