An atmospheric and creepy page-turner.
Seventeen-year-old Anna Cicconi finds herself in the middle of a mystery when she takes a summer nanny job in the swanky Hamptons enclave of Herron Hills.
Frick begins her story at the end. Well, sort of. August in the Hamptons signals the turning of the leaves and sees the grisly discovery of 19-year-old Zoe Spanos’ body. Zoe disappeared on New Year’s Eve, and Anna, who happens to strongly resemble her, has confessed to her murder. However, Martina Green, who runs the podcast Missing Zoe, doesn’t believe Anna did it and attempts to find out what really happened. Flash back to June: Hard-partying recent high school grad Anna sees her new job caring for Tom and Emilia Bellamy’s 8-year-old daughter as a fresh start. As one sun-drenched day melts into the next, Anna is drawn to Windemere, the neighboring Talbots’ looming, Gothic-style home, and to the brooding, mysterious Caden Talbot. But Anna can’t shake a feeling of déjà vu, and she’s having impossible memories that intertwine her life with Zoe’s. Frick easily juggles multiple narratives, and readers will enjoy connecting the dots of her cleverly plotted thriller inspired by Daphne du Maurier’s classic Rebecca. Anna and Zoe are white; the supporting cast includes biracial characters Martina (Latinx/white) and Caden (black/white). Caden discusses grappling with being raised by white adoptive parents, facing racialized suspicion as Zoe’s boyfriend, and feeling marginalized at Yale.
An atmospheric and creepy page-turner. (map) (Thriller. 14-adult)Pub Date: June 30, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5344-4970-1
Page Count: 384
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: March 10, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2020
A modern Hollywood do-gooder offers a fun spin on Austen’s classic.
Emma Crawford has it all: fame, fortune, good looks, and charisma.
Fortunately for those around her, she is just as generous as she is wealthy. After helping her friend Weston get his own talk show, Emma realizes she rather enjoys helping others and begins looking for someone new to bestow her guidance upon. Enter Winter White, stage name of Brittany Smith. The cousin of Weston’s makeup artist, she is doe-eyed and blinded by the glitz and glamor of Hollywood. It just so happens that Emma needs a new assistant, preferably one without ties in the industry who could sell her out. An unlikely friendship begins to grow between them, and Emma realizes that Brittany could have a much bigger career than the one she’s hoping for as St. Martin’s, Ohio’s resident meteorologist. However, Liam Price, a beautiful professional soccer player, introduces complications as he informs Emma that maybe what she thinks is best for Brittany isn’t actually what is best for her. Hollywood has its dark side, one that Emma has glimpsed but was luckily sheltered from by her domineering father. As time goes on, Emma starts to realize that she needs to find courage in herself. This dramatic coming-of-age story features solid writing, complex characters, and good pacing. Emma and Brittany are white; Liam is Brazilian and Jewish.
A modern Hollywood do-gooder offers a fun spin on Austen’s classic. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Jan. 21, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-63583-048-4
Page Count: 344
Publisher: Flux
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2019
An enjoyable debut.
A small-town coming-out story.
Taylor Garland is the star of Hopuonk, Massachusetts, and the newly crowned homecoming queen—just like her mother was in 1978. With features that are “impossibly perfect” and a mystery dad who may or may not be a famous actor, she is an object of desire. Taylor has chosen homecoming king Brad, but the only reason she’s with Brad is because he is attractive to girls and she’s attracted to them. Taylor has been in love with one girl in particular since middle school—her best friend, Susan, and Susan has liked Brad for the same amount of time. It’s senior year, and Taylor’s life is full of uncertainties: sex with Brad, telling Susan the truth about her feelings, coming out. Even graduation isn’t a given because she is struggling to keep her grades up. The one thing she is certain about is her need to get out of Hopuonk. Since the story is set in 1999, readers may not recognize some of the references. The storyline involving the identity of Taylor’s father feels like a plot device that ultimately serves no purpose. All characters are assumed white, and character development of the supporting cast is weak, with many of them fitting high school stereotypes. However, the coming-of-age lesbian aspect of the novel is explored with humor and tenderness.
An enjoyable debut. (Fiction. 16-18)Pub Date: March 24, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5247-3853-2
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Dec. 20, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2020
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