With elements of mystery and history, emotion and thrill, this is a worthwhile addition to any collection.
Set in Bermuda in 1972, this novel tells the story of 13-year-old Rebekah Eve, a talented black artist whose visions hold keys to the past.
Rebekah has tested into Meridian, the best school on the island, to the delight of her ambitious mother. But Rebekah finds it hard to focus in class, especially when people and scenes appear in her mind that demand to be drawn. Her best friend, Wanda, is growing apart from her; her parents have separated; and her mother is dating a white man—all of which are additional distractions. But Rebekah’s father supports her art, and when the mysterious Lady of the Library tells him to bring her to the island’s eminent black artist, Mr. Stowe, for private lessons, he does so. This mentorship helps her understand that people from the past are revealing their stories through her art. While some abrupt transitions occasionally make the story difficult to follow, the novel is fast-paced and sprinkled with recognizable growing pains and cultural realities. The historical events Rebekah’s art uncovers are inspired by real historical events. The blurred line between imagination and truth-telling in artistic expression is intriguingly portrayed in this ode to art and to the silenced, condemned voices of the past.
With elements of mystery and history, emotion and thrill, this is a worthwhile addition to any collection. (author’s note) (Historical fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2019
ISBN: 978-976-8267-25-2
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Blouse & Skirt Books
Review Posted Online: June 22, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
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
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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