This surprisingly poignant comedy about teen-parent communication has enough bite to pique the interest of any teenager...
Usually it’s a kid’s use of social media that is a problem….
Using the pseudonym Mommylicious, Imogene’s mother is a prolific professional blogger, continually blogging about her unfortunate daughter’s every cute smile and dirty diaper to her large online audience since she was a baby. Now that she is 15, however, “Babylicious” is beginning to resent the fact that every intimate detail of her daily life is subject to public scrutiny. Ragged at by her schoolmates, embarrassed in the boyfriend department and convinced that her mom doesn’t care what she really thinks, the formerly submissive girl rebels. Imogene and her BFF Sage, whose hard-line, vegan health-nut mother is also a blogger, decide that their moms are over-the-top and plot revenge. Inspired by a homework assignment, the girls talk back about their experiences and feelings through their own blogs, causing huge consternation in the mommy world. Imogene wilts under her mother’s disapproval but is backed up by golf-obsessed Grandma Hope, who dispenses wisdom and helps her to stand up for herself. As the witty story unfolds, mommies and daughters learn to give each other some space and that the Internet is no substitute for real-life experience. Heasley delivers her message without compromising frothy fun.
This surprisingly poignant comedy about teen-parent communication has enough bite to pique the interest of any teenager having trouble interacting meaningfully with her parents. (Fiction. 12 & up)Pub Date: April 22, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-06-220852-1
Page Count: 304
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: Feb. 18, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2014
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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