A love story between two teens, narrated by their stalker.
The cutest couple at Holy Family High School is definitely Laney Villanueva and Nico Fiore. They are popular, gorgeous seniors living a beautiful romance—and the target of sophomore Rafaela Wickham, the sole focus of her obsessive love. Drawn to them like a moth to the light, Rafi slowly but surely gets closer to Laney and Nico, conniving and manipulating events to ingratiate herself and find a way into every aspect of their lives. Her aim is to become one with them—one of their closest friends and the person they will turn to in their hour of need. And when challenges arrive, she does everything she can to help them stay together. It is, after all, the least she can do. This fast-paced psychological thriller is a disturbing, uncomfortable, heartbreaking journey into the mind of a young person who clearly needs help and attention; the text emphasizes this by showing the emotional fallout of her parents’ abandonment, including an alarming incident involving a beloved teacher. But this aspect is mostly bypassed in favor of creepy thrills, leaving a story that is often repetitive in its emotional beats and likely to leave readers craving more depth. Fans of stalker narratives may appreciate that element enough to enjoy the ride. Laney is Filipino American; Nico and Rafi are assumed White.
A creepy but hollow thriller. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 27, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-358-69292-8
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: June 22, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2022
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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. 13, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
Categories: TEENS & YOUNG ADULT ROMANCE | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES
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A treat for mystery readers who enjoy being kept in suspense.
29
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Everyone believes that Salil Singh killed his girlfriend, Andrea Bell, five years ago—except Pippa Fitz-Amobi.
Pip has known and liked Sal since childhood; he’d supported her when she was being bullied in middle school. For her senior capstone project, Pip researches the disappearance of former Fairview High student Andie, last seen on April 18, 2014, by her younger sister, Becca. The original investigation concluded with most of the evidence pointing to Sal, who was found dead in the woods, apparently by suicide. Andie’s body was never recovered, and Sal was assumed by most to be guilty of abduction and murder. Unable to ignore the gaps in the case, Pip sets out to prove Sal’s innocence, beginning with interviewing his younger brother, Ravi. With his help, Pip digs deeper, unveiling unsavory facts about Andie and the real reason Sal’s friends couldn’t provide him with an alibi. But someone is watching, and Pip may be in more danger than she realizes. Pip’s sleuthing is both impressive and accessible. Online articles about the case and interview transcripts are provided throughout, and Pip’s capstone logs offer insights into her thought processes as new evidence and suspects arise. Jackson’s debut is well-executed and surprises readers with a connective web of interesting characters and motives. Pip and Andie are white, and Sal is of Indian descent.
A treat for mystery readers who enjoy being kept in suspense. (Mystery. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-9848-9636-0
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2019
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