A surface-level ending to the series.
It’s time to kill the Devil: He has the key to Heaven and a binding promise with the only being who controls that key.
Brielle Atwater-Grey escaped Hell weeks before, and now Lucifer is making his displeasure known. More and more frequently, demons infiltrate Angel City, proving that the Fallen Army doesn’t have the numbers to continue fighting them. Brielle begins an intense training regimen with the archangels to prepare to kill Lucifer, save Raksha, the dark mage who helped her escape Hell, and retrieve Sera, her infinity weapon. Alongside Lincoln, Brielle’s husband of two weeks, her best friend, Shea, Shea’s fiancé, Noah, four archangels, and a cast of other demon gifted and angel blessed people, Brielle fights the waves of demons Lucifer sends to Angel City, battles at Heaven’s gates, and enters Hell itself one last time. This quartet finale unfortunately adds nothing new emotionally to the characters’ arcs. Brielle and Lincoln, both white, are married and in love, and Brielle’s friendships remain important to her—all elements that are told rather than shown. The writing, while action-packed and fast-paced, offers readers very little connection with the characters, whose voices sound alike. The book may be easy to read, but it’s lackluster in its impact: Many moments feel recycled and uninspired, lacking the emotional depth that the more important aspects of the storyline needed.
A surface-level ending to the series. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: June 17, 2025
ISBN: 9781464218958
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Bloom Books
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2025
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 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
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