A fast-paced and emotionally resonant enemies-to-more ghost story.
A pair of ghost nemeses in upstate New York join forces to investigate who murdered them.
Tessa Sinclair and Reed Walker have been rivals since the sixth grade. So it stings a little that Reed, whose family is from Spain, has been named valedictorian, while Tessa, who looks “like Billie Eilish before her glow-up,” is salutatorian. Some seniors decide to celebrate by breaking into the abandoned van der Born mansion and partying. There, the duo plays a drinking game and actually have fun despite the fact that they’re still bickering. But when they come to the next morning, they realize that they’re not only still in the mansion, but they’re no longer alive. In fact, they’re ghosts, trapped together. What could be worse? Realizing that they were murdered. As Tessa and Reed rally to overcome their long-standing disdain, they discover that they’re kindred spirits. They must also cope with their grief while they try to find out who’s responsible for their deaths before the killer strikes again. They face a countdown timer that indicates that they have 22 days left before their time in this spectral state is up and they must move on. Told from the leads’ alternating perspectives, this charming mystery incorporates séances, paranormal activity, and time travel. It’s also a tender love story, exploring not just the feelings that develop between Tessa and Reed but the love they have for people who are still alive.
A fast-paced and emotionally resonant enemies-to-more ghost story. (Supernatural romance. 14-18)Pub Date: May 12, 2026
ISBN: 9781250404176
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 16, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2026
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 worthy second-chance romance.
In this follow-up to 2021’s Better Than the Movies, a 20-year-old college freshman gets a second chance at his dreams.
After the death of his father and his mother’s subsequent physical and emotional disappearance, Wes Bennett left behind all of his plans and the girl he made them with to go home and take care of Sarah, his younger sister. But now, Sarah has graduated, his mom is back on her feet, and by some miracle, Wes has an offer to pitch for UCLA’s baseball team. Liz Buxbaum, the girl he’s always loved, works for the university’s athletic department, taking photos and video of the team for social media, which means that maybe he can have a second chance at love, too. But since Wes left, Liz has made every effort to protect herself from ever feeling that broken again; there’s no room for love, because she doesn’t believe in it anymore. Or she doesn’t want to. This second-chance sports romance includes fake dates, quippy and quirky best friends, real heartache, and the sweet ache of first love. The clever dialogue keeps readers from drowning in the main characters’ emotional push-and-pull. Reading the first novel isn’t necessary for appreciating this one, although knowing the full history between Wes and Liz will only add to the ache and longing readers feel from and for them. Main characters are cued white.
A worthy second-chance romance. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781665947138
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
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