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The withdrawn, cerebral teen Fletcher Scott has never been the center of attention, which is fine with him.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 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
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
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