An often moving portrait of brotherly love.
Two brothers began a cross-country journey to find their lost mother in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic in Marcus’ YA novel.
Wolfgang and Van Gogh are uncommonly close siblings. Narrator Wolfgang is a bookish 14-year-old, shy and reserved, while 16-year-old Van Gogh is a born leader, self-assured and deeply protective. After finding their father dead from Covid-19, Van Gogh ushers Wolfgang into an urgent, cross-country trip to find their mother who left them, for unknown reasons, many years ago. Van Gogh is afraid that the pair will end up separated in foster care, so he shows an iron resolve as he compels his brother forward. When Van Gogh saves Wolfgang from an attempted gas-station robbery, however, the resulting viral video gets the attention of authorities, even after Van Gogh has the insight to throw their phones away to avoid detection. The opening chapters progress at an almost implausibly brisk pace, but the narrative stabilizes once the brothers settle into their road trip. Throughout, Marcus peppers the story with details from the boys’ youth as they struggle to get along with their deeply conservative father who shares few of their values; at one point, she notably recounts the tragic story of the White father’s racist intolerance of Van Gogh’s Black girlfriend, Janelle, which caused a permanent rift in the family. In such rare moments, readers see compelling accounts of the dynamics of the siblings’ family. Throughout their journey, they also try to piece together the mysteries of their mother’s life from keepsakes and letters from a box she left behind; these moments account for most of the novel’s most memorable passages. The story also presents aspects of the Covid-19 pandemic with care and clarity. As the brothers’ quest bring them closer to their mom’s last known address, an unexpected obstacle makes their futures even more uncertain. All Wolfgang can do is hold firm to the only memory of his mother he has—her mantra to “breathe deep and swim.”
An often moving portrait of brotherly love.Pub Date: April 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-64704-313-1
Page Count: 158
Publisher: Bublish, Incorporated
Review Posted Online: June 16, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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 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
BOOK REVIEW
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