Still, Violet remains a compelling heroine, and another surprise ending will surely leave readers wanting more.
The third installment of the Embrace series doesn’t shine quite as brightly as its predecessors, but fans will still find plenty to enjoy as Violet and her Grigori brethren prepare for a battle of apocalyptic proportions.
Violet may have accepted the fact that she is half-human and half-angel, but nobody, not even she, knows the full extent of her ever-expanding powers. Finding the time to focus and gain control over them is no easy feat with a father who has decided to finally show up and parent, the temptation of a partner who is also a forbidden soul mate, and an ex who plans to use her to help him open up the gates of hell. Literally. While there is plenty for readers by way of high-stakes action, the novel (ironically, given its title) falls short in the romance department. First, Violet is prone to such hyperbole when describing the feelings that Lincoln ignites in her that it quickly shifts from steamy to comical. Second, the dark and alluring Phoenix is tragically absent. While Phoenix is frequently referred to, he and Violet have relatively few face-to-face encounters, depriving the novel of some of the complicated emotional layers that made the first two books so delicious.
Still, Violet remains a compelling heroine, and another surprise ending will surely leave readers wanting more. (Paranormal romance. 14-18)Pub Date: March 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-6846-5
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Jan. 27, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2013
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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