An uneven yet cozy queer paranormal romance with moving mental health representation.
As if being a depressed college student weren’t hard enough, one day Brennan wakes up as a newly turned vampire.
After a suicide attempt in his freshman year, white 19-year-old Brennan did a lot of therapy and is now back at Sturbridge University. Becoming a vampire wasn’t part of the plan, but the self-sufficiency he honed in childhood still runs strong, so he tries to figure out what this new life means and how to obtain what he’ll need—namely, blood. With no interest in harming anyone, he steals donated blood, only to be caught in the act of drinking it by Cole, the cute white student library worker who’s known for his skills in comforting others. Surprisingly, Cole agrees to keep Brennan’s secret and even wants to help him. Their flirtatious friendship blossoms into more, but navigating a new relationship is tricky while Brennan is dealing with a memory gap and questioning if he had anything to do with a student who’s been missing since the day Brennan turned. An overarching plot about a vampire clan provides drama but sometimes feels shoehorned in alongside the more compelling romance arc, which is full of adorable moments and relatable uncertainty. While Brennan’s pretentiousness can be off-putting, Cole is incredibly charming, and their mutual support is lovely. Brennan’s anxiety and depression are thoughtfully and gently interwoven in this ultimately hopeful story.
An uneven yet cozy queer paranormal romance with moving mental health representation. (content notes, author’s note, discussion questions) (Paranormal romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Aug. 26, 2025
ISBN: 9781250321206
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: June 13, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2025
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters.
When star hockey player Alec Barczewski’s estranged childhood friend, Dani Collins, moves to town, they end up in a mutually beneficial fake-dating relationship that reignites old feelings.
Following her parents’ divorce, Dani and her mom move in with Dani’s hockey legend grandfather in Southview, Minnesota, where she spent a month every summer as a child and where her friendship with Alec grew. Between visits, the two were pen pals, but they eventually fell out of touch. Despite some tensions over their loss of friendship, the high school seniors reconnect. Desperate to get off Harvard’s waitlist, Dani needs another extracurricular activity, while Alec—whose reputation took a hit when a photo of him holding a bong appeared on social media—is eager to improve his tarnished image for NHL scouts. The pair strike a deal: They’ll fake date, making Alec look like a stable guy whose academically gifted girlfriend is related to hockey royalty, and in exchange, he’ll get Dani a team manager position that will catch the eye of Harvard’s admissions officers. Eventually, complicated feelings about their past, stressful family relationships, and their brewing romance boil over. Romance fans will love the deliciously tension-filled scenes between Alec and Dani, who are believable friends with heavy demands weighing on them. They feel like real teenagers, and readers will enjoy rooting for them as the well-paced story unfolds. Main characters present white.
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2025
ISBN: 9781665921268
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.
The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.
Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798987380406
Page Count: 538
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
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