Adjusting to her new status as a Cambion and the rest of the fallout from Living Violet (2012), Samara learns just how complicated sharing a single body with an extra soul can be.
Though she's still grieving the loss of her friend Nadine, Samara thinks she's getting a handle on living as a Cambion; she became a demon-hybrid when Nadine passed her succubus soul, Lilith, to Samara right before dying. While Nadine also transferred many of her memories, there are still unanticipated gaps in Samara's Cambion knowledge, leading to bombshell revelations of important details that affect Samara's life. These bits of information range from olive-oil intolerance to the concrete, permanent consequences should Samara ever consummate her relationship with fellow Cambion Caleb. That one in particular, along with other details of demonic puberty, showcases the drawbacks of being supernatural. The expansion of supernatural creatures and Cambion mythology is neatly knitted in with the other huge ramification of Lilith and Nadine's hidden memories: Romantic baggage from Nadine/Lilith's past coming back to haunt Samara, with potentially grave consequences for Caleb. The solid worldbuilding is complemented by Samara's voice, which reads as more consistent and developed than in the earlier outing, and nuanced racial dynamics. The rock and the hard place Samara ends up trapped between stalls the plot temporarily, but a twist ending sets up the next book.
The simultaneous broadening of world, story and character will please fans. (discussion questions) (Paranormal romance. 13-17)Pub Date: June 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-7582-6925-6
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Dafina/Kensington
Review Posted Online: May 2, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2012
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An emotionally engaging closer that fumbles in its final moments.
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Lara Jean prepares for college and a wedding.
Korean-American Lara Jean is finally settled into a nice, complication-free relationship with her white boyfriend, Peter. But things don’t stay simple for long. When college acceptance letters roll in, Peter and Lara Jean discover they’re heading in different directions. As the two discuss the long-distance thing, Lara Jean’s widower father is making a major commitment: marrying the neighbor lady he’s been dating. The whirlwind of a wedding, college visits, prom, and the last few months of senior year provides an excellent backdrop for this final book about Lara Jean. The characters ping from event to event with emotions always at the forefront. Han further develops her cast, pushing them to new maturity and leaving few stones unturned. There’s only one problem here, and it’s what’s always held this series back from true greatness: Peter. Despite Han’s best efforts to flesh out Peter with abandonment issues and a crummy dad, he remains little more than a handsome jock. Frankly, Lara Jean and Peter may have cute teen chemistry, but Han's nuanced characterizations have often helped to subvert typical teen love-story tropes. This knowing subversion is frustratingly absent from the novel's denouement.
An emotionally engaging closer that fumbles in its final moments. (Romance. 14-17)Pub Date: May 2, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4814-3048-7
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: March 29, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2017
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Lara Jean's romantic entanglements complicate themselves further.
In the wake of the events detailed in To All the Boys I Loved Before (2014), Lara Jean confesses her love for handsome golden boy Peter. This frees the pair to start a romantic relationship with a clean slate, but over the course of the novel it becomes clear that embarking on a relationship that turns an aggressive blind eye to baggage is never a good idea. When a viral video of a steamy love session between Peter and Lara Jean rears its ugly head and a boy from the past enters Lara Jean's life once more, Lara Jean's life gets complicated. Every character from Han’s adored previous novel is back, with new dimensions given to nearly every one of them. Subplots abound, among them two involving Lara Jean's father and Peter's ex-gal Genevieve, but benefitting most from this second look is John Ambrose McClaren, a boy briefly referenced in the former book who is thrust into the spotlight here as Peter's rival for Lara Jean's heart. With all these characters bouncing around, Han occasionally struggles to keep a steady hand on the novel's primary thrust: Lara Jean’s emotional development. Han gets the job done in the end, but this overeventful sequel pales to the original where structure is concerned. The author's greatest success remains her character work, and the book does indeed give everyone a solid arc, narrative be damned.
A satisfying if slightly lesser sequel. (Romance. 13-17)Pub Date: May 26, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2673-3
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2015
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