by Jason Gurley ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 12, 2019
Buoyed by strong, likable characters and superb writing, this coming-of-age tale cuts to the core.
Two teens—an unlucky boy scraping by, a starry-eyed girl with big plans—cross trajectories in Gurley’s (Greatfall, 2018, etc.) utterly sincere YA debut.
It’s senior year in Orilla del Cielo, a California coastal town. Zachary, a gangly, artistic, white teen with a bleak outlook on life, doesn’t see the point in applying for college. After all, he’s convinced he’ll end up on the same soul-crushing dead-end path as his older brother and deceased father. The novel’s other narratorial voice belongs to Vanessa, an affluent quarter-Japanese and (presumably) three-quarters–white teen who dreams of getting into Cornell to follow in the footsteps of her idol, astronomer Carl Sagan. Her animosity toward her father, who abandoned Vanessa and her mom, fuels her ambitions; her friendly rivalry with best friend Cece Vasquez (Latinx and queer) does the same. Momentous fate brings Vanessa and Zach together. Convinced of his artistic worth, she tries to help set him on a college-oriented track while he strains to spare her from his poverty-induced burdens. As the two get closer, conflicting forces pull them apart, derailing whatever plans—good or bad—they thought they had. Incisive, wholehearted dialogue and lovely prose fill the novel, an exploration of an adolescent relationship that’s equal parts sweet and unlikely. Blossoming romance eventually encounters tragedies big and small, spiraling into a surprisingly suspenseful ending.
Buoyed by strong, likable characters and superb writing, this coming-of-age tale cuts to the core. (Realistic fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Feb. 12, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-250-14183-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Nov. 24, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2018
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by Jason Gurley
by Laura Nowlin ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 6, 2024
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
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by Laura Nowlin
by Laura Nowlin ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2013
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
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