Readers will likely solve the puzzle before Jane does, but fortunately, there’s plenty to enjoy here besides the whodunit.
A smart, straight-laced teen who’s survived a terrifying crime falls hard for a boy from a family with a bad reputation in this summer romance shot through with suspense.
Jane yearns for happiness following the events of the year before, when her father, a police officer, came to her aid and was murdered while she was blindfolded and held at knife point during a burglary. However, summer has barely begun in their insular New England town when Jane suddenly finds herself pursued by gorgeous bad boy Handel. Her tightknit group of friends is convincingly divided in their opinions about the burgeoning relationship. In contrast, Jane’s mother, a talented seamstress whose work draws customers across the town’s sharply portrayed class divide, is believably supportive and open with her daughter, whom she pushes toward making some peace with the past even as she trusts her to make her own decisions about love and sex. The meandering, dreamy language—grass is “tender with the newness of life,” and Jane’s desire makes her heart “flutter like the wings of a hummingbird”—is perfect for the hazy, hot summer days depicted, though the mystery isn’t served as well by the languid pace.
Readers will likely solve the puzzle before Jane does, but fortunately, there’s plenty to enjoy here besides the whodunit. (Mystery. 14-18)Pub Date: May 26, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-399-17136-9
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015
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
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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