In the end, it is a frustratingly ho-hum read that could have been much, much more.
Every thought, every action has a consequence, and one unscripted moment can change everything.
For a record three months, 17-year-old Nick Cross has carefully listened to the unrelenting voices in his head as they lead him toward a future he desperately wants. But when Nick ultimately chooses to ignore the “You Wills” that tell him to save the life of a beautiful stranger, the result is devastating. Nick’s ability to see the future is “a living nightmare,” and Balog brings his torment to life for readers by allowing the voices in Nick’s head to constantly interrupt his narration with flashes from the future. Unfortunately, this clever technique largely falls by the wayside in the second half of the novel, and what is left is disappointingly ordinary. In addition, while the action is high in the beginning and readers will likely find Nick and his struggles compelling, the latter part of the story packs less of a punch. Perhaps most importantly, the romance between Nick and Taryn, a girl with more than a few of her own secrets, never quite seems to ignite, making what could have been a riveting race to change the future considerably less compelling.
In the end, it is a frustratingly ho-hum read that could have been much, much more. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: Aug. 14, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-385-74032-6
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: June 19, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2012
A light and entertaining plot-driven romance.
A Connecticut girl and her best friend devise a series of plans in order to achieve their goals: following a dream and winning back an ex.
Eighteen-year-old Audrey Barbour has a Master Plan: attend Blue Ridge Glass School in North Carolina and someday turn her Etsy shop, Golightly Glass, into a thriving business. But her uber-wealthy parents insist that she instead follow in their footsteps and go to business school. So Audrey decides to go find the tuition money she needs with help from her best friend, Henry Chen. Henry needs a favor, too: He hopes that fake dating Audrey will help him win back his ex-girlfriend, and he points out to a reluctant Audrey that this could make her crush, Griffin, notice her. While Audrey’s parents vacation in France for three weeks, the pair rent out the Barbour mansion on the Long Island Sound. Soon romantic chemistry grows alongside their business partnership. Despite the pair’s great preparation and an abundance of secondary characters with connections and talents to help pull off their increasingly ambitious ideas, plans go awry, leaving Audrey and Henry scrambling and second-guessing their choices. The pacing is even, but the characters often take a back seat to the whirlwind of activity that drives the plot, with the emphasis falling on each person’s practical skills and their role in keeping the action moving over their emotional bonds. Audrey is white, and Henry’s surname cues him as Chinese American.
A light and entertaining plot-driven romance. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: March 31, 2026
ISBN: 9780593904794
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Delacorte Romance
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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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