A companionable and realistic rendering of teen courtship.
Two teenagers, each struggling with past romantic failures, haltingly fall in love in this YA romance.
The withdrawn, cerebral teen Fletcher Scott has never been the center of attention, which is fine with him. When he takes a summer civics course, Haley Stevenson, the “Princess of Juniper Falls” and the cheerleading captain at Juniper Falls High, seeks his help on an important class project. She aspires to join the cheer squad at the University of Central Florida, but her unspectacular grades could prove to be a prohibitive barrier. The studious, responsible Fletcher could be her ticket to a higher grade. Initially, their personalities clash; at one point, for example, Fletcher considers Haley the “world’s most infuriating girl.” But slowly, romantic feelings begin to develop between them—first, callow physical infatuation, and then something deeper. However, both are wary about taking things further, due to past romantic betrayals. To make matters worse, Fletcher zealously guards a few secrets: he’s plagued by a serious medical condition and also has an unusual weekend job that he wants to remain unknown. But he and Haley both share an implacable desire for more. Fletcher wants to go from being a benchwarmer on the junior varsity hockey team to an active player on the varsity one, and he’s helped by two seasoned players. Haley not only has college-cheerleading dreams but also aspires to transcend the limitations of being a popular girl. This is the second installment of Cross’ (Off the Ice, 2017) Juniper Falls series, and although some of the characters and plotlines from the previous novel reappear here, the plot is comprehensible as a stand-alone. The author is remarkably well attuned to the adolescent psyche, delivering teenage dialogue with impressive authenticity. She also artfully combines serious and lighthearted subject matter, adroitly juxtaposing the comic goofiness of high school life with its moments of high drama. The plot develops slowly, and as a result, the romantic tension between Fletcher and Haley isn’t always as strong as it could have been. Overall, however, this is an uncomplicated and pleasantly agreeable tale.
A companionable and realistic rendering of teen courtship.Pub Date: Dec. 26, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-63375-898-8
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Review Posted Online: Jan. 2, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.
The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.
Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798987380406
Page Count: 538
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
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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