A queer romance that offers an uplifting, if somewhat predictable, tale of first love.
Two 13-year-old boys discover love and sexuality in this debut YA romance.
Set in late-1980s Houston, Freeman’s novel opens with the electric chemistry between the protagonist and narrator, Alex Kennedy, and Brandon Marshall. The teens meet at the Bissonet Avenue Church of Christ, where Brandon’s father is the preacher. Brandon is a jock with “incredibly fair brown hair” who talks fast and cracks crude jokes that keep the more reserved, intellectual Alex on his toes. But from their first encounter, Alex realizes he can’t imagine a life without his new friend, who looks “like he just stepped out of a magazine.” At group retreats and sleepovers, Alex discovers the world of fundamental Christianity. Brandon’s menacing father lords Scripture over his family in contrast to Alex’s loving, open-minded parents, who put his happiness and safety above all else. That does not stop the boys from discovering each other’s bodies—and their mutual admiration for the Adonis-like high schooler Joel Thompson. Small physical affections quickly escalate to a deeply felt yet necessarily secret romance. But homophobic attacks, local politics, and the bigotry of Brandon’s own family all brew in the background, threatening to separate the teens as they start to come to terms with their confusing feelings. Through Alex’s wise-beyond-his-years voice, Freeman perfectly captures the uncertainty and intensity of a friendship on the verge of a queer romance, and the contradictorily cosmopolitan and conservative Houston is a perfectly rendered setting. Unwavering support from Alex’s parents right from the start produces a few very moving moments, but it also deflates the dramatic tension. (Their frank discussions with the boys can also feel more like a progressive parenting manual than realistic conversations.) The plot often seems on the verge of something darker and more complex—like Alex’s borderline inappropriate sleepovers with the much older Joel—but the author consistently returns to the simpler, sweeter, and more classic beats of love triumphing over all.
A queer romance that offers an uplifting, if somewhat predictable, tale of first love.Pub Date: July 12, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-63988-311-0
Page Count: 402
Publisher: Atmosphere Press
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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 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
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