An aspiring fashion designer in Toronto makes the most of an unexpected summer opportunity.
Seventeen-year-old Tahira Janmohammad’s dream is to be a fashion designer, and she has a plan to make that happen: attend an arts high school, establish a social media presence, intern with a fashion designer, and get into the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. All is going well until her internship with a rising star designer falls through. Fortunately, Tahira’s aunt owns a small boutique and offers her a summer job. Unfortunately, it’s in the small town of Bakewell, the self-proclaimed flower capital of Ontario. With her best friend coming along, Tahira decides it won’t be so bad—until she meets 18-year-old Rowan Johnston, Sharmin Aunty’s rude but handsome nursery employee neighbor. An exciting opportunity arises when Tahira discovers that the floral sculpture competition portion of the annual flower festival might be her way in with a famous New York City streetwear designer who got his start in floral design. But first she must find a way to work with Rowan if she has any hope of winning and proving herself. Heron has penned an enjoyable coming-of-age romantic comedy. Touching on the pressures of social media, discovering your passions, and staying true to yourself, your morals, and your real friends, the book offers readers characters whose feelings and insecurities will resonate. Muslim Tahira is of Indian descent; Rowan is Black.
A sweet read filled with fashion, flowers, and romance. (Romance. 12-18)Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5420-3037-3
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Skyscape
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2021
Categories: TEENS & YOUNG ADULT FICTION | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT ROMANCE
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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. 13, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
Categories: TEENS & YOUNG ADULT ROMANCE | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES
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This grittily provocative debut explores the horrors of self-harm and the healing power of artistic expression.
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After surviving a suicide attempt, a fragile teen isn't sure she can endure without cutting herself.
Seventeen-year-old Charlie Davis, a white girl living on the margins, thinks she has little reason to live: her father drowned himself; her bereft and abusive mother kicked her out; her best friend, Ellis, is nearly brain dead after cutting too deeply; and she's gone through unspeakable experiences living on the street. After spending time in treatment with other young women like her—who cut, burn, poke, and otherwise hurt themselves—Charlie is released and takes a bus from the Twin Cities to Tucson to be closer to Mikey, a boy she "like-likes" but who had pined for Ellis instead. But things don't go as planned in the Arizona desert, because sweet Mikey just wants to be friends. Feeling rejected, Charlie, an artist, is drawn into a destructive new relationship with her sexy older co-worker, a "semifamous" local musician who's obviously a junkie alcoholic. Through intense, diarylike chapters chronicling Charlie's journey, the author captures the brutal and heartbreaking way "girls who write their pain on their bodies" scar and mar themselves, either succumbing or surviving. Like most issue books, this is not an easy read, but it's poignant and transcendent as Charlie breaks more and more before piecing herself back together.
This grittily provocative debut explores the horrors of self-harm and the healing power of artistic expression. (author’s note) (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-101-93471-5
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2016
Categories: TEENS & YOUNG ADULT FICTION | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES
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