A compelling, unusual coming-of-age story.
After a tragic event changes the course of her life, Cara discovers a new version of herself.
The daughter of well-known mountaineers, white, home-schooled Cara has grown up climbing mountains. At 15, she's a nationally ranked climber and a thoughtful teen who reads Henry David Thoreau and Annie Dillard. When her parents and her uncle are in an accident while attempting a summit—and Uncle Max is lost—her father's grief won't let him leave Ecuador. While her mother stays with him, Cara is forced to live with her grandparents in suburban Detroit. With her own grief overwhelming her, Cara gives up climbing and struggles with depression. Normal life in the suburbs is a difficult adjustment for Cara, but she's helped by her new, white goth friends, Kaitlyn and Nick, and her understanding grandpa. Recovering slowly yet realistically, Cara begins to see the appeal of her new life while reclaiming those things that make her Cara: climbing, Thoreau, and nature. Marching to the beat of her own drummer, Cara is an appealing, engaging narrator. Surrounded by a well-rounded cast, Cara's journey toward a peaceful, fulfilling life is almost perfectly depicted. Although some references that date the story to the mid-2000s might give readers pause, they will move past them as they get swept up in Cara's story.
A compelling, unusual coming-of-age story. (Fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-9968649-1-6
Page Count: 307
Publisher: Elephant Rock Books
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2016
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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