by Lauren Henderson ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 12, 2012
For readers willing to abandon plot logic and go with the flow, there are compensations.
Child of Nordic/Scottish parents, Violet—short, dark, curvy—feels like one of a kind until she discovers her uncanny resemblance to the Italian girl depicted in a 1790 portrait.
Tracing the painting’s provenance to Castello di Vesperi in Tuscany, Violet wheedles her mother into sending her to Villa Barbiano, whose formidable owner, Catia, offers summer instruction in the Italian language, art and art history. Joining Violet are working-class Kelly, another Brit, and two rich American girls: blonde Paige and African-American Kendra. Cultures clash, but strife recedes as the girls unite against the unspeakable Elisa, Catia’s daughter, in pursuit of hot Italian boys, beginning with Elisa’s brother, Leonardo. Violet sets her sights on handsome Luca, whose family owns Castello di Vesperi. The plot finally thickens halfway through, when Violet’s resemblance to Luca’s family is discovered and their burgeoning romance interrupted by attempts on her life. Slapdash execution, an undisciplined, rambling style and often-senseless plot (why doesn’t plucky Violet simply ask her doting mother if she’s adopted?) mark this series opener from the author of the Scarlet Wakefield mysteries. Fortunately, Violet's character eventually develops: Abandoning her generically breathless persona, Violet morphs into a funny, caustic observer, comparing and contrasting teen cultures and mores—American, British, Italian.
For readers willing to abandon plot logic and go with the flow, there are compensations. (Mystery romance. 12 & up)Pub Date: June 12, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-385-74135-4
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: March 20, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2012
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by Laura Nowlin ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 6, 2024
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
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by Laura Nowlin ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2013
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
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