A sweeping, jumbled conclusion to this sci-fi trilogy that imagines the merging of soul with mind, good with evil, and life...
This conclusion to the Dream Walker trilogy brings Joshlyn full circle as she continues her struggle to save the three universes.
Josh, still uncomfortable with her role as True Dream Walker, nevertheless works nonstop to save dreamers from their nightmares, keep the universes (Death, Dream, and World) balanced, and bring Haley back from Death. Haley, seer of auras, who had a peripheral role in earlier outings, now takes center stage as he enters the Death universe and is terrorized by his corrupted twin, Ian. Peregrine has caused the Veil that separates the universes to shred, belching nightmares into the World. With uncertain motives, the evil genius Feodor still works with Josh while her ex-boyfriend Will plays tug of war with her heart. At the climax, Peregrine dreams up a kind of Romanesque Oz for the final battle and redemption of the largely white cast. Alloway does a good job weaving in previous key plot points, but readers would do well to read all three installments back-to-back so as not to forget the numerous twists and abundant characters. This final installment is laden with a pseudo-science of magnets and crystal gadgetry, a religious mishmash of angels and reincarnation, and pithy self-help reductionism: “Beneath the angry, controlling, manipulative monster he had become was just a man who wanted to feel safe.”
A sweeping, jumbled conclusion to this sci-fi trilogy that imagines the merging of soul with mind, good with evil, and life with death. (Paranormal romance. 13-18)Pub Date: March 28, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-250-00125-2
Page Count: 320
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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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