An ambitious, promising premise ultimately disappoints but still marks James one to watch.
James takes a well-worn trope—lovers reincarnated across time—and gives it a spin.
Katherine and Matthew, both white, exist in four different times: 1745 Carlisle, 1854 Crimea, 2019 England, and 2039 England, where the latest incarnations stumble on a mystery surrounding their 2019 selves (who are also their respective aunt and uncle). This is a lot for an author to manage; despite clear planning, the execution is often weak. Both the 1745 and 1854 storylines combine anachronistic dialogue with weak characterization, while the 2039 future tantalizes but never comes across clearly. Meanwhile, insta-love flattens what should be swoony emotional beats throughout. In the 2019 section, Katherine and Matthew (seen only through their correspondence) have an engaging dimensionality (even if they also seem like lovesick teens rather than the professional researchers they are supposed to be). The other timelines, with two similar typefaces for the past and a quite different one for the future, combine “primary source” documents and third-person narration but lack the presence of the 2019 versions. The conspiracy surrounding the 2019 deaths creates a much-needed sense of tension, considerably enlivening the 2019 and 2039 sections. Unexplained brief inserts commenting on the various timelines similarly evoke a larger plot; the authorial decision to leave this feature unexplained leads to a needlessly confusing and unresolved ending.
An ambitious, promising premise ultimately disappoints but still marks James one to watch. (Science fiction/romance. 13-18)Pub Date: June 13, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-5107-1021-4
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Sky Pony Press
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
A troubling depiction of an unhealthy relationship.
A battered girl and an injured rugby star spark up an ill-advised romance at an Irish secondary school.
Beautiful, waiflike, 15-year-old Shannon has lived her entire life in Ballylaggin. Alternately bullied at school and beaten by her ne’er-do-well father, she’s hopeful for a fresh start at Tommen, a private school. Seventeen-year-old Johnny, who has a hair-trigger temper and a severe groin injury, is used to Dublin’s elite-level rugby but, since his family’s move to County Cork, is now stuck captaining Tommen’s middling team. When Johnny angrily kicks a ball and knocks Shannon unconscious (“a soft female groan came from her lips”), a tentative relationship is born. As the two grow closer, Johnny’s past and Shannon’s present become serious obstacles to their budding love, threatening Shannon’s safety. Shannon’s portrayal feels infantilized (“I looked down at the tiny little female under my arm”), while Johnny comes across as borderline obsessive (“I knew I shouldn’t be touching her, but how the hell could I not?”). Uneven pacing and choppy sentences lead to a sudden climax and an unsatisfyingly abrupt ending. Repetitive descriptions, abundant and misogynistic dialogue (Johnny, to his best friend: “who’s the bitch with a vagina now?”), and graphic violence also weigh down this lengthy tome (considerably trimmed down from its original, self-published length). The cast of lively, well-developed supporting characters, especially Johnny’s best friend and Shannon’s protective older brother, is a bright spot. Major characters read white.
A troubling depiction of an unhealthy relationship. (author’s note, pronunciations, glossary, song moments, playlists) (Romance. 16-18)Pub Date: Nov. 28, 2023
ISBN: 9781728299945
Page Count: 626
Publisher: Bloom Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 21, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2023
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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