Entertaining and romantic.
A poor girl sneaks onto a dating show in hopes of winning a cash prize.
Nine years ago, Hurricane Leopold destroyed Miami and sent the wealthy people who ruined the environment to live aboard luxury ocean liners. Now, Eden Lowell, 18, lives with the family of her best friend and crush, Henry Turner, scalping drones to afford the ever-increasing prices for clean Aquadictum drinking water. Theo Desjardins, the Aquadictum heir, is starring in a dating reality show in which wealthy young women compete for his love—and 500,000 credits. A tragic accident forces a desperate Eden to turn to local rebel leader the Ringmaster for help in crashing the show. Her plan? Make Theo fall for her—and then steal the prize for her family and impoverished community. But once she’s on the show, she starts having second thoughts. Theo’s different than she imagined, and breaking his heart just might break her own. Climate fiction meets Kiera Cass’ The Selection in this quick and appealing read. Tew sets up a world that at times feels eerily possible, while still delivering a romance with a healthy dose of drama and longing. The pacing feels off, particularly within scenes, but readers who become invested in the story likely won’t notice. Fans of light dystopian novels and environmental stories will find much to enjoy. Eden and Theo read Black, Henry and his family present white, and there’s diversity among the supporting cast.
Entertaining and romantic. (Dystopian. 12-18)Pub Date: Oct. 14, 2025
ISBN: 9780593903940
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Joy Revolution
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
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
Exactly what the title promises.
A grieving teen’s devotion to romance films might ruin her chances at actual romance.
Liz Buxbaum has always adored rom-coms, not least for helping her still feel close to her screenwriter mother, who died when she was little. Liz hopes that her senior year might turn into a real-life romantic fantasy, as an old crush has moved back to town, cuter and nicer than ever. Surely she can get Michael to ask her to prom. If only Wes, the annoying boy next door, would help her with her scheming! This charming, fluffy concoction manages to pack into one goofy plot every conceivable trope, from fake dating to the makeover to the big misunderstanding. Creative, quirky, daydreaming Liz is just shy of an annoying stereotype, saved by a dry wit and unresolved grief and anger. Wes makes for a delightful bad boy with a good heart, and supporting characters—including a sassy best friend, a perfect popular rival, even a (not really) evil stepmother—all get the opportunity to transcend their roles. The only villain here is Liz’s lovelorn imagination, provoking her into foolish lies that cause actual hurt feelings; but she is sufficiently self-aware to make amends just in time for the most important trope of all: a blissfully happy ending. All characters seem to be White by default.
Exactly what the title promises. (Romance. 12-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-6762-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
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