A thoroughly stirring, romantic, and epic conclusion.
Two philosophically distinct rebel groups race to draw Laterre’s citizens to their respective causes before the planet’s highest-ranking military leader can claim the throne for himself.
Three months have passed since the megalomaniac Gen. Bonnefaçon’s plot to weaponize the Third Estate’s implanted tech was thwarted. But because the narrator protagonists and their allies failed to expose the general, his influence has only grown, and the violent Red Scar extremists are unwittingly aiding him by murdering other contenders for the throne. Meanwhile, street-smart Chatine and her long-lost younger brother chafe under the peaceful Vangarde rebels’ security protocols; Marcellus is consumed by the search for Alouette, who’s been revealed as the sole living heir to the planet’s ruling family; and Alouette herself is the general’s captive and is being tortured for rebel intelligence. Themes and events from Les Misérables are seamlessly reimagined in this suspenseful, action-packed space opera. The protagonists grapple with sophisticated questions of destiny, genetics, power, and humanity in the face of widespread desperation and misinformation, leading to an unexpected and pitch-perfect final standoff between the general and civilian rebels. The expansive worldbuilding—after all, Laterre is only one of 12 planets in the System Divine—leaves room for future stories following this trilogy closer. Few physical descriptors are used; primary characters read as White.
A thoroughly stirring, romantic, and epic conclusion. (maps, Book 2 overview, cast list) (Science fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Aug. 3, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-7443-7
Page Count: 720
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 25, 2021
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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