Slightly less rizz than its predecessor, but still worth the ride.
Queer teens reprise their James Bond–inspired hijinks.
Only 19 days after their wedding, 17-year-old newlyweds Nico Hall and Sam Solomon are already keeping secrets. Since their breakout mission in A Different Kind of Brave (2024), both white-presenting boys have been recruited as spies, but they can’t reveal this fact to each other. Their mission focuses on an anomaly that’s on a collision path with Earth—and the six-day countdown to the expected impact is on. Field agent Nico—code name “Parkour”—ends up in Hawai‘i, verifying the danger with an optical telescope. Meanwhile, Sam—aka “the Knitter”—is tasked with thinking up contingencies as an analyst for a “sensitive and compartmented information facility.” Dangers surrounding the pair escalate while things also heat up between them, as Sam worries that Nico still hasn’t said “I love you” back. Luckily, their missions eventually bring them closer to finding out the truth—in more ways than one. But can they “pull the wig off this whole thing,” save the world, and save their marriage? Amid the heavy flirting and passion, the lovelorn spies have a meaningful conversation about monogamy. The alternating third-person narration effectively builds tension, but for such high stakes as mass destruction, the resolution’s payoff falls a little short. Still, the Bond references and cool gadgetry abound in this fast-paced sequel—this time, notably including some AI.
Slightly less rizz than its predecessor, but still worth the ride. (author’s note) (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: May 19, 2026
ISBN: 9780897336444
Page Count: 302
Publisher: Duet
Review Posted Online: March 20, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 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
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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