The novel ends in a buoyant mood, perhaps not entirely earned.
In an ill-advised effort to set his life straight, 17-year-old River Dean fakes a weed addiction and joins a support group for teens.
Senior year takes a sour turn for the white teen. Penny Brockaway ends their relationship during a boat trip for his lack of self-reflection. “You just follow along and do what you think you’re supposed to.” Wandering Los Angeles in a post-breakup daze, River stumbles across a sign: A Second Chance. It refers him to a self-help group, where addictions range from shoplifting to Molly. Believing it’ll benefit him in his case with Penny, River feigns an addiction to enlist in the group. “I was taking action. I was doing something.” Readers may often find it hard to accept or even like River. Though an absent-father subplot unearths some pathos, his manipulation of the group, obsession with Penny, and obliviousness to his own privilege crush any goodwill. Aside from the loss of Penny, River attempts to reconcile with his estranged friends, whom he’s previously neglected. On top of that, he must get his driver’s license, since “everybody knows that nobody walks in LA.” As he explores a new relationship with a girl from the support group and remakes his life, he finds it difficult to balance his lies. “Penny was right about me. I didn’t think about things,” he realizes, a valuable epiphany that nevertheless exposes the story’s weakness.
The novel ends in a buoyant mood, perhaps not entirely earned. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 14, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-385-74259-7
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Wendy Lamb/Random
Review Posted Online: March 15, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2016
A lighthearted romance in which love comes to those who speak their minds and stick to their truths.
A strong young woman discovers love where she least expects it.
At 17, Madeline Fisher-Michaels’ only love has been field hockey. With her focus on playing in college, boys have never been a priority. But after she agrees to be a bridesmaid in her brother Austin’s wedding to his fiancée, Katie, everything changes. She allows Katie—whom she doesn’t like but hopes to bond with—and the other bridesmaids to be her matchmakers. Mads navigates complicated, changing feelings toward longtime best friend Connor McCallister and classmate Marco Álvarez, whom she banters and bickers with. With the support of her dads, Mads must work through shifting relationships with family, boys, and even herself. Mads proves to be a strong protagonist: She often speaks her mind and maintains clear boundaries throughout the novel, which is refreshing. She communicates well with her family and serves as an inspirational role model for young women navigating relationships. The complexity of Katie’s characterization is another highlight; her depth and growth balance the lack of substance in the portrayals of other supporting characters. Readers looking for drama and intrigue may be disappointed, but Walther’s strong young women characters truly shine in this quietly entertaining, character-driven tale. Marco is cued Latine in the otherwise largely white cast.
A lighthearted romance in which love comes to those who speak their minds and stick to their truths. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: June 3, 2025
ISBN: 9781728263144
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A gripping tribute to resilience.
A girl with amnesia and a boy suspected of harming his girlfriend overcome adversity to find the answers they seek.
A 17-year-old girl wakes up in a ditch, disoriented and with no memory of who she is or what happened. Found by the Alton, Oregon, police, she is brought to the station. Soon after, Wayne Boone, a man claiming to be her father, shows up. He has photos of her on his phone and her high school ID card, with the name Mary Boone. Wayne convinces the police to release Mary into his custody. The more time Mary spends with Wayne, however, the weirder things get: He’s unaware of her food allergy, and as her memories start to return, they don’t conform with Wayne’s versions of her life. In the town of Washington City, across the Willamette River, Drew is in a bad place. His girlfriend, Lola, has disappeared, and Drew was the last person to see her. His adoptive dads and cousin are the only ones who support him; everyone else, including the sheriff, thinks he’s responsible for Lola’s disappearance. Intent on finding Lola, Drew finds help in an unlikely ally, Lola’s best friend, Autumn, who is the sheriff’s daughter. But will they find Lola in time? The two immersive storylines bring to life the trials and frustrations each main character faces in this debut, which is a thrilling delight right up to the unexpected and bittersweet conclusion. Most characters are cued white; one of Drew’s dads is Guatemalan.
A gripping tribute to resilience. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Dec. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9781728270111
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Sept. 23, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
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