by Lurlene McDaniel ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 18, 2018
Put this one out to pasture. (Inspirational romance. 16-adult)
Her heart problem is the least of the issues standing between Kenzie and love.
Kenzie Caine grew up as the pampered, privileged daughter of a well-known breeder of Tennessee walking horses. When she discovered her father and his trainer were abusing their horses to enhance their performance, Kenzie turned her back on her family—making her feel doubly guilty over the suicide of her younger sister due to bullying. Now, in the summer after her sophomore year of college, she’s working on a horse farm, rehabilitating rescue horses. Despite her heart condition, the result of a childhood bout with Kawasaki disease, she is fit and physically capable. Enter Austin Boyd, kicking off a series of clichéd moments and statements like “Fire from Kenzie was better than ice.” Kenzie struggles to let Austin in, afraid to risk her heart. She has a plan for her life—to become an equine veterinarian, not to fall in love. Yet her feelings for Austin keep growing stronger. Will learning the secrets Austin has been hiding make Kenzie put her walls back up? The trite romantic trappings aren’t helped by stilted prose that contains reams of exposition. Neither Austin nor Kenzie is a distinct character, due in large part to the frequent and clumsy point-of-view shifts. All characters appear to be white and living lives of privilege.
Put this one out to pasture. (Inspirational romance. 16-adult)Pub Date: Dec. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5247-1948-7
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Sept. 1, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2018
Share your opinion of this book
More by Lurlene McDaniel
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
by Laura Zimmermann ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 23, 2020
A sweet, slow-paced novel about a teen learning to love her body.
Greer Walsh wishes she were one person...unfortunately, with her large breasts, she feels like she’s actually three.
High school sophomore and math whiz Greer is self-conscious about her body. Maude and Mavis, as she’s named her large breasts, are causing problems for her. When Greer meets new kid Jackson Oates, she wishes even more that she had a body that she didn’t feel a need to hide underneath XXL T-shirts. While trying to impress Jackson, who has moved to the Chicago suburbs from Cleveland, Greer decides to try out for her school’s volleyball team. When she makes JV, Greer is forced to come to terms with how her body looks and feels in a uniform and in motion as well as with being physically close with her teammates. The story is told in the first person from Greer’s point of view. Inconsistent storytelling as well as Greer’s (somewhat distracting) personified inner butterfly make this realistic novel a slow but overall enjoyable read. The story contains elements of light romance as well as strong female friendships. Greer is white with a Christian mom and Jewish dad; Jackson seems to be white by default, and there is diversity among the secondary characters.
A sweet, slow-paced novel about a teen learning to love her body. (Fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: June 23, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-9848-1524-8
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
Share your opinion of this book
More by Laura Zimmermann
BOOK REVIEW
by Kit Frick ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 30, 2020
An atmospheric and creepy page-turner.
Seventeen-year-old Anna Cicconi finds herself in the middle of a mystery when she takes a summer nanny job in the swanky Hamptons enclave of Herron Hills.
Frick begins her story at the end. Well, sort of. August in the Hamptons signals the turning of the leaves and sees the grisly discovery of 19-year-old Zoe Spanos’ body. Zoe disappeared on New Year’s Eve, and Anna, who happens to strongly resemble her, has confessed to her murder. However, Martina Green, who runs the podcast Missing Zoe, doesn’t believe Anna did it and attempts to find out what really happened. Flash back to June: Hard-partying recent high school grad Anna sees her new job caring for Tom and Emilia Bellamy’s 8-year-old daughter as a fresh start. As one sun-drenched day melts into the next, Anna is drawn to Windemere, the neighboring Talbots’ looming, Gothic-style home, and to the brooding, mysterious Caden Talbot. But Anna can’t shake a feeling of déjà vu, and she’s having impossible memories that intertwine her life with Zoe’s. Frick easily juggles multiple narratives, and readers will enjoy connecting the dots of her cleverly plotted thriller inspired by Daphne du Maurier’s classic Rebecca. Anna and Zoe are white; the supporting cast includes biracial characters Martina (Latinx/white) and Caden (black/white). Caden discusses grappling with being raised by white adoptive parents, facing racialized suspicion as Zoe’s boyfriend, and feeling marginalized at Yale.
An atmospheric and creepy page-turner. (map) (Thriller. 14-adult)Pub Date: June 30, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5344-4970-1
Page Count: 384
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: March 10, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2020
Share your opinion of this book
More About This Book
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.