by John Herman ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2001
Two parallel stories take place side-by-side in this ambitious novel, but neither is fully realized. Gregory lives in modern America, where he is suffering from his father’s suicide a few years earlier. Gregor lives in the Home Country, where he is chosen to be one of the Golden Ten young men sent every ten years to the Mother Country. Each boy dreams about the other and the patterns of their lives become increasingly similar. Gregory gets involved in a burglary scheme in which he crawls through sewer tunnels under the city; Gregor and his companions find themselves about to be sacrificed to the Minotaur, wandering through the labyrinth on their way to likely death. Unfortunately, readers will be frustrated by the unanswered questions and undeveloped themes. Gregory’s mother keeps saying his father killed himself because of mental illness, but that key fact in the boy’s life is left hanging. Incredibly enough, Gregor and his friends don’t notice that none of the previous groups of Golden Ten ever returned home. The narrative voice, which often reflects Gregory’s thoughts, is uneven and sometimes totally off, describing the girl he likes as “a heady mixture of young lady and daredevil,” hardly the thought of a 14-year-old boy. In the end, the two stories come together in the labyrinth, where Gregor apparently escapes and Gregory confronts his internal monster, his anger at his father’s suicide, in a confusing dramatic scene. Part problem novel, part fantasy, this needed more space to expand on its settings and themes, and solidify its interesting structure. (Fiction. 12+)
Pub Date: June 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-399-23571-X
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2001
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by John Herman & illustrated by Leo Dillon & Diane Dillon
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by John Herman
BOOK REVIEW
by John Herman
by Laura Nowlin ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 6, 2024
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
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by Laura Nowlin
by Laura Nowlin ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 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
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