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THE DEAD ENDERS

In part coming-of-age story, mystery, and romance, this book has something for everyone. (Mystery. 14-adult)

Summer is always a party in the small town of Gold Fork, Oregon, but this year will be more memorable than ever—and not for the right reasons.

First-person narration alternates among four high schoolers during summer vacation: two boys—brainy Davis and athletic Erik—and two girls—kind Ana and cool drug dealer Georgie. They are friends, of a sort, tied together by an accidental fire at a chapel that took place two years earlier during a church youth group camping trip when the four sneaked out at night to smoke a joint. Summer romances abound as well as complicated family affairs. On top of it all, someone has been committing arson around town, and the big questions everyone is pondering are who—and why? Most of the residents live dead-end, poverty-stricken lives in this tourist town, while the Weekenders who flock there during the summers and for the winter ski season see only a beautiful refuge. The characters are raw, giving this clever, moving story a staggering realism in addition to being a gripping thriller and a compelling critique of society. While there is mention of a Latinx community in Gold Fork, all main characters are white except for Latina Ana and her mother.

In part coming-of-age story, mystery, and romance, this book has something for everyone. (Mystery. 14-adult)

Pub Date: May 1, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-4814-9033-7

Page Count: 448

Publisher: Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: March 4, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018

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IF ONLY I HAD TOLD HER

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

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IF HE HAD BEEN WITH ME

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

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