“Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind” with this captivating riff on a beloved classic.
It’s 1895, and orphan Christine Daaé dreams of moving beyond the corps de ballet at the Opera Populaire, a prestigious Paris opera house—perhaps even becoming the principal soprano.
The opera house is said to be haunted by the Phantom of the Opera, or Opera Ghost. When he comes to her in the dressing room one day, Christine, who’s originally Norwegian, believes him to be the Angel of Music her father spoke of before he died. She’s immediately entranced by his tutelage and talent. Christine submits herself to her Angel fully, pulling away from her friends and her first love, blond, blue-eyed Raoul, in order to learn from the mysterious being. Christine spends much of the narrative thinking about her relationship with Angel (though not interrogating how healthy his behavior is) and having vivid (and sometimes spicy) dreams that blur the line between fantasy and reality. There are several such dreams throughout the story, which slow the pace and are presented in ways that may confuse readers. This gothic romance can be enjoyed as an accessible introduction to Gaston Leroux’s original tale for contemporary readers or a delicious adaptation of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. Readers will enjoy Christine’s first-person point of view, and the detailed insights into the Phantom’s backstory. The narrative is sure to delight both newcomers and die-hard Phantom fans.
“Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind” with this captivating riff on a beloved classic. (character map, glossary) (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2026
ISBN: 9798217124183
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: July 6, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2026
SEEN & HEARD
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 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
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