Sure to satisfy as an amuse-bouche for die-hard series fans.
This love story told through two perspectives requires readers to flip the book over to read both Hannah’s and Toby’s sides of their romance.
Hannah Rooney is the reserved daughter of a ruthless crime boss who desperately wants out of the family business and its endless cycle of violence. Tobias Hawthorne II is the troubled only son in a rich, enigmatic family; he’s regarded as a disappointment and is unhappy despite his privilege. Their lives go up in flames one night, and tragedy brings them together. Hannah reluctantly uses her budding nursing skills to aid an injured Toby, who’s lost his memory. Slowly, a forbidden romance blossoms between the two seeming enemies whose unlikely bond forms over being outcasts in their respective warring families. Barnes’ signature style—snappy dialogue and clever puzzle-solving—situate Toby and Hannah’s relationship firmly in the world of the bestselling Inheritance Games series (Hannah’s version of events was published as a novella in the 2024 compilation Games Untold). However, this prequel’s romance is lackluster, formulaic, and mostly redundant, seeming to ride the coattails of the previous books. Still, it will serve as a fun diversion for those already familiar with the main series’ plot and characters; for the uninitiated, it feels as if half the story—and a more exciting one at that—is hinted at but left off the page. Main characters present white.
Sure to satisfy as an amuse-bouche for die-hard series fans. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9780316600262
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 16, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 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 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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