Strong character development and jaw-dropping reveals make this intense, feminist fantasy a must-read.
In this duology opener co-authored by sisters, a brave young woman must challenge a tyrant to obtain her freedom.
Deina, an indentured servant from the House of Hades, can sever the body from the soul. It’s a useful skill to help the dying enter the Underworld, and performing these services subtracts years from her 40-year servitude. However, Deina dreams of buying her freedom and that of her best friend, Chryse. In this reimagined Orphic myth, Orpheus arrives in Iolkos with an offer to members of the House of Hades who passed his trials: Enter the Underworld and bring back his wife, Eurydice, in exchange for freedom and gold. Deina, who accepts the challenge, is ready to face her fate, but far from being a sweet, tortured musician, Orpheus is self-obsessed and cruel. In this brutal, patriarchal ancient Greek world, Deina survives gender-based harassment and injustices. Despite it all, she proves her resilience under pressure. In the Underworld, she encounters a mysterious man who helps her in her tasks, little suspecting that she’ll discover much more about him—and herself—while she’s there. Even with the familiar Greek mythological storytelling trappings, the worldbuilding is unique, featuring the epic qualities of a heroine’s journey and many unpredictable reveals. Misogyny and power plays permeate the storyline, contributing to themes that are both dark and empowering. The characters reflect the diversity of the regions of Greece.
Strong character development and jaw-dropping reveals make this intense, feminist fantasy a must-read. (authors’ note) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 9, 2025
ISBN: 9781536244533
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: June 13, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2025
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 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
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