A romantic suspense with a combination of eerie occurrences, an ancient relative, and horses—making for a complex and demanding narrative that both intrigues and confuses. Fleeting glimpses of a strangely tattooed man lead Wim to look and see things around her she might have otherwise missed. Seventeen-year-old Wim works for and practically lives at the stable where owners Tammy and Evelyn rely on her and share her grief for best friend Jilly. That death has made Wim turn away from new people, resisting change of all kinds. Satisfied to observe, Wim sticks with her habit of rescuing animals, including the vicious Kid, a horse no one can come near. Then three newcomers appear. A Maori academic, David, with his rebellious niece, Tangi, and Great Aunt Kia, whose befuddled senility dissipates whenever Wim is left with her. Drawn to and equally resisting each of the newcomers to her life, Wim’s budding romance with the older man, David, the possible friendship with Tangi and her obligations to Kia pull her reluctantly into life. Savage (Summer Hawk, 1999, etc.) both lulls and prepares readers for her revelations with odd plotting and emotional outbursts. At 15, Wim is wise and yet still a child. Her actions seldom make any sense but are understandable in an odd way. The connections between this old shipping family of Provincetown, Massachusetts, and the visitors from New Zealand are rooted in the Maori culture and historical facts essential to unraveling the puzzle. The climactic events are painful, but it’s clear that young Wim has reached a resolution. An unfocused but surprisingly satisfying romantic puzzler. (Fiction. YA)
Pub Date: April 29, 2002
ISBN: 0-618-04756-5
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2002
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
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in.
Black is back with another dark tale of Faerie, this one set in Faerie and launching a new trilogy.
Jude—broken, rebuilt, fueled by anger and a sense of powerlessness—has never recovered from watching her adoptive Faerie father murder her parents. Human Jude (whose brown hair curls and whose skin color is never described) both hates and loves Madoc, whose murderous nature is true to his Faerie self and who in his way loves her. Brought up among the Gentry, Jude has never felt at ease, but after a decade, Faerie has become her home despite the constant peril. Black’s latest looks at nature and nurture and spins a tale of court intrigue, bloodshed, and a truly messed-up relationship that might be the saving of Jude and the titular prince, who, like Jude, has been shaped by the cruelties of others. Fierce and observant Jude is utterly unaware of the currents that swirl around her. She fights, plots, even murders enemies, but she must also navigate her relationship with her complex family (human, Faerie, and mixed). This is a heady blend of Faerie lore, high fantasy, and high school drama, dripping with description that brings the dangerous but tempting world of Faerie to life.
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in. (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-316-31027-7
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Sept. 25, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2017
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