Glows with the beauty of a long summer sunset.
One camper van, one golden retriever, two secretive teenagers, and a road trip across seven states.
Hyper-responsible Sylvie has no problem getting her rich, detached mother to let her spend the summer before college traveling the country in a converted Mercedes Sprinter van. Though her boyfriend, Cal, was supposed to come along, Sylvie ends up hitting the road with only her dog, Winslow, hoping to find the sense of control and independence she sees on the TikTok #vanlife videos she loves. Knox has lived off the grid in drifter communities since he was 7, and now that he’s 18, he’s ready to leave behind the rootless life his mother chose. When two people from Knox’s drifter group rob Sylvie at a Michigan campsite, and his mom announces they’re making a quick getaway before the police arrive, Knox decides to stay behind. After Winslow runs off, and Knox breaks his arm while helping Sylvie find him, she offers to drive him to the ER and then down to North Carolina to find the mamaw he hasn’t seen in ages. Both Knox and Sylvie, who are cued white, have complex, pain-filled backstories; their revelations to readers and each other are well-paced and pack hefty emotional punches, and the verse narration is fresh as a morning in the mountains. Their quick-blooming romance complements their individual journeys rather than overpowering them.
Glows with the beauty of a long summer sunset. (maps) (Verse romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Aug. 18, 2026
ISBN: 9780063324589
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 20, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 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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