An extended tale worth the telling.
Revisits a beloved fairy-tale classic from another perspective.
Prince Eric of Vellona is in a precarious situation: inheriting the crown amid growing civil conflicts, erratic coastal storms, and pressure to marry. Eric finds a secret, hidden letter from his mother, who was lost in a shipwreck two years ago, detailing more information about her last voyage and his curse. He can only ever kiss his true love or he will die instantly. Determined to help his people and free himself from his restrictive circumstances, Eric sets out to locate an uncharted isle. Along the way, he encounters pirates, ghosts, and a powerful witch. Meanwhile, he thinks he might have met his true love, but he can only remember her beautiful voice. There’s also the remarkable (but mute) redheaded girl who washes up from the ocean....Interwoven with scenes taken directly from the 1989 animated feature, this expansion of Disney’s The Little Mermaid takes the already active role of the prince and gives his story more depth and intrigue. Fans of the film will enjoy the additional scenes between the main couple, and many readers will appreciate Eric’s struggle to chart his own destiny and redefine what true love even means. Miller is confined to using the same primary cast as the movie, but she expands the world’s representation with several original secondary characters (human and merfolk) who bring diversity of race and sexuality.
An extended tale worth the telling. (Fantasy. 12-18)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-368-06911-3
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Disney Press
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Exactly what the title promises.
A grieving teen’s devotion to romance films might ruin her chances at actual romance.
Liz Buxbaum has always adored rom-coms, not least for helping her still feel close to her screenwriter mother, who died when she was little. Liz hopes that her senior year might turn into a real-life romantic fantasy, as an old crush has moved back to town, cuter and nicer than ever. Surely she can get Michael to ask her to prom. If only Wes, the annoying boy next door, would help her with her scheming! This charming, fluffy concoction manages to pack into one goofy plot every conceivable trope, from fake dating to the makeover to the big misunderstanding. Creative, quirky, daydreaming Liz is just shy of an annoying stereotype, saved by a dry wit and unresolved grief and anger. Wes makes for a delightful bad boy with a good heart, and supporting characters—including a sassy best friend, a perfect popular rival, even a (not really) evil stepmother—all get the opportunity to transcend their roles. The only villain here is Liz’s lovelorn imagination, provoking her into foolish lies that cause actual hurt feelings; but she is sufficiently self-aware to make amends just in time for the most important trope of all: a blissfully happy ending. All characters seem to be White by default.
Exactly what the title promises. (Romance. 12-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-6762-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK TO SCREEN
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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