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The withdrawn, cerebral teen Fletcher Scott has never been the center of attention, which is fine with him.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
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
BOOK TO SCREEN
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
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.
