A charming, emotionally intelligent adventure.
A Florida teen’s webcomic reignites people’s belief in Korean gods, conjuring the deities into existence.
Overachiever Grace Bak is determined to do whatever it takes to follow in her parents’ footsteps and get into Boston University’s combined bachelor of science/doctor of medicine program. Grace is a “hive of anxiety,” struggling to prove her worth to her emotionally distant widower father, the peers she alienated during last semester’s “incident,” and herself. Only Zoe Ortiz, her nonbinary best friend, knows that Grace is the creator behind the viral webcomic Sun God, which is inspired by the Korean myths Grace’s late halmeoni used to tell her. In the comic, Haemosu, the titular sun god, and his lover, Yuhwa, are trapped in human bodies and cursed to attend public school. Powered by readers’ adoration, Grace’s characters come to life. The new boy at school turns out to be Haemosu, who’s unable to find his way home. As Grace tries to help him return to his realm, their friendship grows into a blossoming romance that’s tested when calamities strike. People contract smallpox and are attacked by terrifying monsters, events that point to the rageful water god Habaek, who commands Grace to stop meddling in celestial affairs. Cho’s insightful story embraces Korean culture while also depicting the social-emotional challenges of being Asian American in a predominantly white community. Grace’s relationship with Haemosu is grounded by her sincere journeys of navigating grief and embracing self-love.
A charming, emotionally intelligent adventure. (author’s note) (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: April 21, 2026
ISBN: 9780593406816
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 26, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2026
PERSPECTIVES
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
A worthy second-chance romance.
In this follow-up to 2021’s Better Than the Movies, a 20-year-old college freshman gets a second chance at his dreams.
After the death of his father and his mother’s subsequent physical and emotional disappearance, Wes Bennett left behind all of his plans and the girl he made them with to go home and take care of Sarah, his younger sister. But now, Sarah has graduated, his mom is back on her feet, and by some miracle, Wes has an offer to pitch for UCLA’s baseball team. Liz Buxbaum, the girl he’s always loved, works for the university’s athletic department, taking photos and video of the team for social media, which means that maybe he can have a second chance at love, too. But since Wes left, Liz has made every effort to protect herself from ever feeling that broken again; there’s no room for love, because she doesn’t believe in it anymore. Or she doesn’t want to. This second-chance sports romance includes fake dates, quippy and quirky best friends, real heartache, and the sweet ache of first love. The clever dialogue keeps readers from drowning in the main characters’ emotional push-and-pull. Reading the first novel isn’t necessary for appreciating this one, although knowing the full history between Wes and Liz will only add to the ache and longing readers feel from and for them. Main characters are cued white.
A worthy second-chance romance. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781665947138
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
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