A completely compelling read.
A teenage girl, living with foster parents since her parents died in a murder-suicide, learn she’s a magical being—and possibly a killer’s next victim.
After Edith shockingly grows claws and accidentally draws blood from a boy who menacingly grabs her after she makes it clear she’s not receptive, she learns she’s a descendant of a long line of beserkir, who can take the form of a wolf, bear, or boar. Self-described “good girl” Edith is naturally incredulous. To get the charges dropped, she heads to a wilderness therapy program for troubled youth—Iceland’s Skallagrim Academy, where ancient Norse magic is a way of life. There, she meets witches, seers, hunters, and other beserkir. On her second day at Skallagrim, a student is murdered—and Edith becomes hunter Amund’s prime suspect as he investigates the crime. She’s determined to prove her innocence while also trying to stay alive. Despite the threat Amund poses to Edith, the pull between the two is undeniable. The delicious twist of their forbidden will-they, won’t-they romance is as riveting as the race to find out who the true culprit is. The leads’ dual first-person narrative invites readers to witness questioning, determination, and growth from the perspectives of both a hunter and a berserkr, serving to enhance this thriller whose mystery is woven into the magic of the book. Main characters present white.
A completely compelling read. (author’s note with resources) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: March 3, 2026
ISBN: 9781665979573
Page Count: 464
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2026
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
A worthy second-chance romance.
In this follow-up to 2021’s Better Than the Movies, a 20-year-old college freshman gets a second chance at his dreams.
After the death of his father and his mother’s subsequent physical and emotional disappearance, Wes Bennett left behind all of his plans and the girl he made them with to go home and take care of Sarah, his younger sister. But now, Sarah has graduated, his mom is back on her feet, and by some miracle, Wes has an offer to pitch for UCLA’s baseball team. Liz Buxbaum, the girl he’s always loved, works for the university’s athletic department, taking photos and video of the team for social media, which means that maybe he can have a second chance at love, too. But since Wes left, Liz has made every effort to protect herself from ever feeling that broken again; there’s no room for love, because she doesn’t believe in it anymore. Or she doesn’t want to. This second-chance sports romance includes fake dates, quippy and quirky best friends, real heartache, and the sweet ache of first love. The clever dialogue keeps readers from drowning in the main characters’ emotional push-and-pull. Reading the first novel isn’t necessary for appreciating this one, although knowing the full history between Wes and Liz will only add to the ache and longing readers feel from and for them. Main characters are cued white.
A worthy second-chance romance. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781665947138
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
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