A big disappointment for fans of Spears' other work; for a stellar exploration of the rural South, read Jeff Zentner’s The...
One teen replaces another at the top of a small-town social pyramid.
Luke Grayson moves from a private school in Washington, D.C., to spend his senior year of high school in a small town in eastern Tennessee with the Baptist preacher father he scarcely knows. Luke's intention is to survive nine months, then flee, but early on he attracts the enmity of local golden boy and star quarterback Grant Parker—but when Grant is injured, Luke becomes heir to his throne, finding himself with Grant's gang of bullies, Grant's former squeeze, and even homecoming king. The book’s first problem is that Luke is a relentlessly unattractive protagonist: entirely amoral and contemptuous of every single person he encounters. The second problem is that all of the secondary characters are cardboard stereotypes deserving of Luke's contempt. His father and stepmother are Southern Baptist parodies, the mechanic who employs Luke (and gives him a Camaro) can't figure out how to enter a password on the shop's computers, and the town's adults flock to the high school's homecoming dance because it's so much fun. None of these details rings remotely true. Race is only partially assigned to a few girls, described as blonde; the default seems to be assumed to be white.
A big disappointment for fans of Spears' other work; for a stellar exploration of the rural South, read Jeff Zentner’s The Serpent King (2016) instead. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-250-08886-4
Page Count: 320
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
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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