A fast-paced and feisty tale, perfect for anyone who’s ever had a book boyfriend.
In this YA novel, a bookish teen embarks on a magical journey she’s previously only read about.
Edena “Edie” Allegra Keller is a superfan of fantasy novels, especially the bestselling The Traveler Chronicles series. For the teen, books provide the only consistency and sense of belonging in a life where her single mother moves them around after a violent incident perpetuated by Edie’s loving, schizophrenic father, who is now in a full-time care facility. Everything changes when Edie’s mother’s nursing job takes the two to Austin, Texas, which has a bookstore with an original Traveler Chronicles review copy. The work may contain clues as to why the last volume ended with hero—and Edie’s “book boyfriend”—Kane the Traveler’s unfortunate demise. When Edie visits the store that houses the manuscript, she’s thrust into the parallel dimension of the Traveler series, which isn’t actually fiction at all. But the books’ author was incorrect regarding many major and minor details, including Kane himself, who instead of a reluctant but noble changeling-turned-savior is a snarky antihero who refers to Edie as “Cupcake” (the image on her food-truck T-shirt). The two set out on a journey that reflects the series in cementing the hero’s royal destiny. Edie must reckon with every skill she possesses in a world that’s both familiar and full of surprises while learning long-held secrets about her hardworking mother and long-lost father—and fighting her attraction to Kane. YA and romance author McKay’s modern feminist take on the classic chosen-one narrative has a spunky, relatable heroine in Edie, who holds a black belt in taekwondo but can’t quite stand up to mean girl bullies in her new high school. Edie discovers her inner and outer strengths in the world of Kane and her favorite characters. Both Edie and Kane have conceivable, realistic character arcs in the fantastical setting, and their quippy banter is a highlight. Readers will find romantic escapism in the lovingly conceived world of Edie’s beloved books.
A fast-paced and feisty tale, perfect for anyone who’s ever had a book boyfriend.Pub Date: May 5, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-64063-656-9
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Review Posted Online: May 1, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
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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