Perfectly balanced action, reflection, and intrigue; sure to offer wide appeal.
A warrior and a religious scholar seek justice in this fantasy debut set in an Italian-inspired world.
Gia believes she’s found an ally in Ennio, Magna’s head templar. After Gia arranges a meeting between him and Lena, her sister who is a principessa and head templar of Alta, she is stunned to discover she’s just a pawn in Ennio’s plan to take control of Trestatto. Deciding to fight back, Gia instead becomes one of many victims Ennio traps in stone. One thousand years later, people honor Primo Sanct Ennio. At the temple, Milo is fascinated by the statue of an anonymous sanct who sacrificed herself, giving her life to save Trestatto. When he accidentally releases Gia from her imprisonment, they both find themselves questioning their identities and how to right the wrongs of a millennia. Gia and Milo share the third-person narration, giving readers emotional glimpses into inner conflicts over guilt and faith while shining a light on injustice and contemplating truth and the accuracy of historical narratives. Gia self-describes as fat; she endures some negative judgment for her size. Milo identifies as autistic; his methods for moving through the world are described, and the effort it takes him to mask is acknowledged. Well-detailed action sequences, including revenge plots and battles, are sprinkled throughout. A variety of skin tones are present, and queer people are a natural part of this society.
Perfectly balanced action, reflection, and intrigue; sure to offer wide appeal. (content warning) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 19, 2023
ISBN: 9781645678885
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Page Street
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2023
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
A worthy second-chance romance.
In this follow-up to 2021’s Better Than the Movies, a 20-year-old college freshman gets a second chance at his dreams.
After the death of his father and his mother’s subsequent physical and emotional disappearance, Wes Bennett left behind all of his plans and the girl he made them with to go home and take care of Sarah, his younger sister. But now, Sarah has graduated, his mom is back on her feet, and by some miracle, Wes has an offer to pitch for UCLA’s baseball team. Liz Buxbaum, the girl he’s always loved, works for the university’s athletic department, taking photos and video of the team for social media, which means that maybe he can have a second chance at love, too. But since Wes left, Liz has made every effort to protect herself from ever feeling that broken again; there’s no room for love, because she doesn’t believe in it anymore. Or she doesn’t want to. This second-chance sports romance includes fake dates, quippy and quirky best friends, real heartache, and the sweet ache of first love. The clever dialogue keeps readers from drowning in the main characters’ emotional push-and-pull. Reading the first novel isn’t necessary for appreciating this one, although knowing the full history between Wes and Liz will only add to the ache and longing readers feel from and for them. Main characters are cued white.
A worthy second-chance romance. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781665947138
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
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