A solid sophomore novel that keeps readers involved in the entertaining series.
In this sequel to The Inheritance Games (2020), Avery has a new Hawthorne family puzzle to solve.
Picking up where the last volume left off, Avery and the four Hawthorne grandsons are on a mission to find Toby, the billionaire patriarch’s only son, who was presumed dead after a fire but, it turns out, may still be alive. With enigmatic clues and more cryptic mysteries left by the deceased family patriarch and Toby himself, Avery and the young Hawthornes piece together the details of the latter’s disappearance. Assisting the mostly White cast this time is Avery’s best friend, Maxine Liu, whose name cues her as Chinese American. Once again, action-packed chapters with more threats against Avery’s life and an ongoing love triangle among Avery and two rival Hawthorne grandsons drive the momentum. This novel relies less on the brainteasers that made the first book so much fun and more on sleuthing to fill in the backstory surrounding the Hawthorne lineage and Avery’s own heritage. Are the two connected? The answers occasionally lead to more questions as the pace quickens and red herring upon red herring prevail, leading up to the conclusion of this installment. An open ending—and a bolder Avery—are ready for the next set of Hawthorne challenges.
A solid sophomore novel that keeps readers involved in the entertaining series. (Mystery. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 7, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5763-5
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: July 7, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
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
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