A sweet coming-of-age story that provides important representation.
Returning home after 18 months away at university, a neurodivergent girl discovers herself amid the chaos of a family wedding and the filming of a documentary.
Jasper Montgomery is Lake Pristine’s golden girl, a label her influential family adores, especially after working hard to hide Jasper’s autism. Jasper agrees to help cast and direct her mother’s ballet company’s production of The Nutcracker and plan her often tyrannical sister’s wedding, all while trying to explain to her family why the life they’ve planned for her doesn’t make her happy. Oddly, the only person who seems to understand her emotional and sensory needs is Arthur Lancaster, a former classmate who’s always been a bit short with her. Arthur accepts a plea from Marcus, his cousin, to join him in creating a documentary on their small town to enter in a contest for a cash prize—a short film that will expose “the rigid oppressiveness” beneath the shiny, respectable surface of the town and families like the Montgomerys. Arthur films and interviews Jasper for the project, and the two form a bond that breaks through their usual brusqueness. Jasper’s interactions with her family are often troubling, highlighting her self-awareness and grit in the face of their unkindness, while Arthur is lovably quiet and gruff. Readers will appreciate the thoughtful examination of social dynamics and expectations. Main characters read white.
A sweet coming-of-age story that provides important representation. (author’s note) (Romance. 12-18)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781250335517
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2024
A sweet, romantic visit to the iconic Disney Fairies world.
The Pixie Dust Root is in danger, and one fairy is determined to save it—and the Pixie Dust Tree that all of Pixie Hollow depends upon.
In this stand-alone story set in the same world as Allison Saft’s Wings of Starlight (2025), Periwinkle, a frost-talent who has a gift for finding things—or maybe they have a way of finding her?—discovers a lost thread of magic that grants her the ability to dream. But not all dreams are as sparkly as Periwinkle. One night, she awakens from a nightmare to find herself in the Winter Woods with a fairy she’s never met, a sparrow man named Weaver, who claims to be a rare dream-talent. Disconcertingly, Weaver knows her—he calls her “perfect Periwinkle” and for some reason doesn’t seem to like her very much. Nevertheless, Periwinkle finds herself drawn to Weaver. When he tells her he can save the Pixie Dust Root by spinning her dreams into thread if she helps him find the magic tools he needs, Periwinkle agrees. Their journey leads the pair, who are pale-skinned, to discover things they like about each other, too. This is an opposites-attract adventure with romantic tension, a high-stakes quest, personal discovery, and betrayal. The characters struggle with inner turmoil while also adjusting their understanding of each other. Bright balances the fun with explorations of themes of snap judgments, labels, and weaponizing fear.
A sweet, romantic visit to the iconic Disney Fairies world. (Fantasy. 12-18)Pub Date: Aug. 4, 2026
ISBN: 9780736447362
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Disney/Random House
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Exactly what the title promises.
A grieving teen’s devotion to romance films might ruin her chances at actual romance.
Liz Buxbaum has always adored rom-coms, not least for helping her still feel close to her screenwriter mother, who died when she was little. Liz hopes that her senior year might turn into a real-life romantic fantasy, as an old crush has moved back to town, cuter and nicer than ever. Surely she can get Michael to ask her to prom. If only Wes, the annoying boy next door, would help her with her scheming! This charming, fluffy concoction manages to pack into one goofy plot every conceivable trope, from fake dating to the makeover to the big misunderstanding. Creative, quirky, daydreaming Liz is just shy of an annoying stereotype, saved by a dry wit and unresolved grief and anger. Wes makes for a delightful bad boy with a good heart, and supporting characters—including a sassy best friend, a perfect popular rival, even a (not really) evil stepmother—all get the opportunity to transcend their roles. The only villain here is Liz’s lovelorn imagination, provoking her into foolish lies that cause actual hurt feelings; but she is sufficiently self-aware to make amends just in time for the most important trope of all: a blissfully happy ending. All characters seem to be White by default.
Exactly what the title promises. (Romance. 12-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-6762-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK TO SCREEN
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