For romance fans only, who should enjoy it.
Romance trumps action even during the final battle to save the world in this trilogy closer.
At 17, Skye learned she was the daughter of two angels, one a Guardian and one a Rebel, giving her supernatural powers beyond any ever before seen. Now in conflict with both factions, she and her friends unite to try to forge a new way and keep the universe in balance. Sadly, both of her heartthrobs, former Guardian Devin and Asher, now both in the Rebel camp, oppose her, even though they all still have to attend high school together. Skye tracks down two other Rogue angels, one with a cute little daughter named Earth, and the group sets out to prepare for the epic battle and for another important event: prom. When that heroic battle occurs, Davies keeps her focus more on romance than on the action, interrupting the battle numerous times for conversations explaining the participants’ emotions, decisions and sudden romantic realizations; Asher reaches full Harlequin eloquence in his final speech to Skye. In the closing pages, Skye makes a final, major choice that indeed should fully end the trilogy. Skye, Devin and Asher come across as standard-issue romance heroes, but a few of the minor characters achieve some nice individuality, especially Earth.
For romance fans only, who should enjoy it. (Paranormal romance. 12 & up)Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-06-199069-4
Page Count: 368
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2013
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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