A modern tale of an existential crisis that will resonate with many teens.
In this contemporary twist on Hamlet, 17-year-old Dane Riley struggles with depression after his father’s death.
After seeing a coyote wandering in his upscale suburb of McLean, Virginia, Dane starts to imagine it’s the reincarnation of his father, who died from cancer less than a year ago. He occasionally still texts his dad—and receives kind messages back from whomever now has that phone number. He’s angry and resentful of his mother for moving on too quickly and dating his father’s best friend and business partner, Chuck. An unmotivated student who’s not planning on going to college, Dane ponders what there is to live for. He lacks support from his mother but has positive influences in his life in the form of his therapist and one of his teachers. A crush on Ophelia, the girl next door, is one of the only things that fuels him, but she’s warned him that any relationship she enters will have a pre-planned end date so no one can get hurt. Dane’s emotional ups and downs are conveyed realistically and present a moving depiction of grief and mental health. While the book starts off slowly and the plot never quite comes together, the ultimately hopeful ending may satisfy readers. Dane is presumed White; Ophelia has a Black dad and a White mom, and there is diversity among secondary characters.
A modern tale of an existential crisis that will resonate with many teens. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 22, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-12480-7
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: April 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2021
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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