White “trailer trash” girl meets wealthy Indian boy, sparks fly, and college plans are complicated in this romance.
Eden and Ash are front-runners for valedictorian, Ash due to parental pressure and Eden because good grades mean college. They have never liked each other—and anyway, Eden doesn’t like anyone. A new classmate (who primarily exists for reasons of exposition and plot momentum) encourages Eden to wear makeup; this plus a teacher-mandated project partnership soon turns rivalry to love. But Eden’s father is a racist, and Ash’s parents are snobs. Clumsily told, with inconsistent information and characterization (particularly Eden, whose first-person narrative sounds more middle-aged than foulmouthed teen outcast), this nevertheless fills a hole, tackling a transracial, transclass relationship in a community where that’s barely acceptable, with a bonus of autism education for readers through Eden’s babysitting job. Both teens are brilliant and beautiful, and the story veers unevenly between Eden’s struggles (will she get the scholarship? Is her dad going to get in her way? Is her amazing stepmother going to support her again?) and the burgeoning romance, never quite making either go anywhere.
Mediocre and formulaic but not utterly without value. (Romance. 13-17)Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-250-09735-4
Page Count: 320
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Review Posted Online: June 22, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
Categories: TEEN ROMANCE | TEEN SOCIAL THEMES
Did you like this book?
BOOK REVIEW
An emotionally engaging closer that fumbles in its final moments.
19
GET IT
Lara Jean prepares for college and a wedding.
Korean-American Lara Jean is finally settled into a nice, complication-free relationship with her white boyfriend, Peter. But things don’t stay simple for long. When college acceptance letters roll in, Peter and Lara Jean discover they’re heading in different directions. As the two discuss the long-distance thing, Lara Jean’s widower father is making a major commitment: marrying the neighbor lady he’s been dating. The whirlwind of a wedding, college visits, prom, and the last few months of senior year provides an excellent backdrop for this final book about Lara Jean. The characters ping from event to event with emotions always at the forefront. Han further develops her cast, pushing them to new maturity and leaving few stones unturned. There’s only one problem here, and it’s what’s always held this series back from true greatness: Peter. Despite Han’s best efforts to flesh out Peter with abandonment issues and a crummy dad, he remains little more than a handsome jock. Frankly, Lara Jean and Peter may have cute teen chemistry, but Han's nuanced characterizations have often helped to subvert typical teen love-story tropes. This knowing subversion is frustratingly absent from the novel's denouement.
An emotionally engaging closer that fumbles in its final moments. (Romance. 14-17)Pub Date: May 2, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4814-3048-7
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: March 29, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2017
Categories: TEEN FICTION | TEEN ROMANCE | TEEN SOCIAL THEMES
Did you like this book?
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
In an imagined setting evoking medieval England, King Jameson of Coroa pursues Hollis Brite.
The independent teenager makes Jameson laugh, but she lacks the education and demeanor people expect in a queen. Her friend Delia Grace has more knowledge of history and languages but is shunned due to her illegitimate birth. Hollis gets caught up in a whirl of social activity, especially following an Isolten royal visit. There has been bad blood between the two countries, not fully explained here, and when an exiled Isolten family also comes to court, Jameson generously allows them to stay. Hollis relies on the family to teach her about Isolten customs and secretly falls in love with Silas, the oldest son, even though a relationship with him would mean relinquishing Jameson and the throne. When Hollis learns of political machinations that will affect her future in ways that she abhors, she faces a difficult decision. Romance readers will enjoy the usual descriptions of dresses, jewelry, young love, and discreet kisses, although many characters remain cardboard figures. While the violent climax may be upsetting, the book ends on a hopeful note. Themes related to immigration and young women’s taking charge of their lives don’t quite lift this awkwardly written volume above other royal romances. There are prejudicial references to Romani people, and whiteness is situated as the norm.
Skip this uninspired entry into the world of medieval love and court intrigue. (Historical romance. 13-16)Pub Date: May 5, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-06-229163-9
Page Count: 320
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: Feb. 5, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2020
Categories: TEEN FICTION | TEEN ROMANCE | TEEN SOCIAL THEMES
Did you like this book?
© Copyright 2020 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
