A sweet and lighthearted high school romance.
Two Japanese teens with opposite personalities form a budding romance at their neighborhood store.
Chika Aiyama and Hiroto Waya avoid each other at school but in the evenings they hang out together, just the two of them, outside the corner store where Waya works. Flashing back to a year prior, their story shows Chika’s first year of high school, when she suddenly faced a long commute after her parents’ divorce. One night she ran into Waya, her quiet, loner classmate, when she went into the store while he was working. Bubbly and friendly Chika struck up a conversation and found she enjoyed his company, so she continued to stop by during Waya’s shifts to talk to him. They soon started having regular nighttime meetups outside the convenience store, but they kept them a secret from everyone at school. As the teens continue getting to know each other, feelings slowly begin to develop between them—but they must also navigate some misunderstandings, hurt feelings, and their wildly different personalities. This translated work adapted from a Japanese webcomic is a wholesome, adorable story with little overt drama. The characters face their own internal struggles and feelings about self-worth, acceptance, and belonging, which will resonate with readers. The art has a sweet simplicity, with carefully placed details heightening emotions and deepening their growing attraction.
A sweet and lighthearted high school romance. (Manga. 12-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2026
ISBN: 9798217118311
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Ink Pop/Random House Graphic
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
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
Exactly what the title promises.
A grieving teen’s devotion to romance films might ruin her chances at actual romance.
Liz Buxbaum has always adored rom-coms, not least for helping her still feel close to her screenwriter mother, who died when she was little. Liz hopes that her senior year might turn into a real-life romantic fantasy, as an old crush has moved back to town, cuter and nicer than ever. Surely she can get Michael to ask her to prom. If only Wes, the annoying boy next door, would help her with her scheming! This charming, fluffy concoction manages to pack into one goofy plot every conceivable trope, from fake dating to the makeover to the big misunderstanding. Creative, quirky, daydreaming Liz is just shy of an annoying stereotype, saved by a dry wit and unresolved grief and anger. Wes makes for a delightful bad boy with a good heart, and supporting characters—including a sassy best friend, a perfect popular rival, even a (not really) evil stepmother—all get the opportunity to transcend their roles. The only villain here is Liz’s lovelorn imagination, provoking her into foolish lies that cause actual hurt feelings; but she is sufficiently self-aware to make amends just in time for the most important trope of all: a blissfully happy ending. All characters seem to be White by default.
Exactly what the title promises. (Romance. 12-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-6762-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK TO SCREEN
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