An emotionally resonant second-chance romance enriched by authentic relationships and profound emotional journeys.
A former child actor reunites with her old co-star while desperately trying to maintain her anonymity.
Five years ago, Claire Hopper, formerly known as CeCe Lafayette, left behind her life in Los Angeles, where she starred in a sitcom, to start over in idyllic small-town Connecticut. Her move and name change coincided with her parents’ divorce. Claire has kept her true identity hidden, even from her best friend, Korean American Evie, in hopes of having a normal post-Hollywood life. But white-presenting Claire’s carefully guarded secret is threatened when mega-famous Salvadoran American Luke Cordova, who was on the show with her, comes to town to film an adaptation of a bestselling book about a local murder. Further complicating matters is that they had “world-ending crushes on each other” but fell out of touch after a dare gone wrong. Luke offers Claire a job as a consultant for the film, which will help pay for NYU, her dream school. She desperately needs the money because her father stole all her earnings from acting. Claire’s concerns are satisfyingly and believably resolved. Her growth as she moves toward self-acceptance and self-love is gratifying. O’Shaughnessy also draws rewarding and authentic connections between Claire and her older brother, Nicky, a college athlete, and his transgender girlfriend, Mara. Best of all is the sizzling chemistry between Luke and Claire, which supports the depth of their love story.
An emotionally resonant second-chance romance enriched by authentic relationships and profound emotional journeys. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 22, 2026
ISBN: 9780063570252
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Storytide/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: June 1, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Somberly beautiful.
A girl goes in search of her missing sister and discovers a strange hidden world of dreams.
Corin, who’s 18 and dark-skinned, strives to protect her 12-year-old sister, Elly. But life as a thief is full of struggle, poverty, and loss, even without Corin’s avoidance of other relationships. Elly clings to the promise of fairy tales, like the one that says a princess lies sleeping in an underground castle after pricking her finger on a spindle. After the sisters fight and Elly runs off, Corin searches for her in Gyldan’s old network of tunnels—and finds the tale is true: Cursed Princess Amelia, golden-haired, with eyes like “sea glass” and porcelain skin, lies asleep, surrounded by flowers. Corin enters the princess’ dreamworld—the place “where your subconscious desires come to life.” She meets Briar Rose, Amelia’s alter ego, who experienced her share of sadness and wanted to fall asleep. Also in the dreamworld is green-skinned Malicine, the nonbinary demon who, despite having placed the curse of eternal slumber on Amelia, is mostly friendly. All three are running from things they can’t face, though the dreamworld may not give them a choice. Pham’s debut, a Sapphic reimagining of “Sleeping Beauty,” explores mental health and asks a lot of readers as it seesaws between emotional confrontations, time jumps, and scenes where one character inhabits the memories of another, all of which demand intense engagement. Still, the ending is earned as well as positive.
Somberly beautiful. (content note) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2026
ISBN: 9798217113026
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Kokila
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
SEEN & HEARD
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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