by Maria Romasco-Moore ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 19, 2022
Gripping and emotionally charged.
An invisible teen girl longs to be seen and loved.
Pietà, who goes by Pie, was born invisible. She and her mom can see each other, although their skin appears transparent, but they aren’t visible to others. Pie grew up traveling all over the U.S. on trains with her mom, staying in other people’s houses, and using whatever they need. Despite her mom’s advice to never fall in love, Pie did just that two years ago while in Pittsburgh, with disastrous results. Now, they are visiting the area again, staying in a house where teenage cousins Denise and Jules live, and Pie is determined to find her old crush, Tess. As much as Pie tries to be content with her lonely existence, she yearns for more, and true friendships begin to seem possible if she’s willing to take some risks. Although the story sometimes overexplains the rules of invisibility and doesn’t dive deeply enough into the reasons behind its origins—Pie’s mom was born solid but became invisible as a coping mechanism for abuse—the way the present-day narrative and flashbacks are skillfully woven together creates page-turning momentum. Pie’s critical self-talk and longing for connection are excruciatingly realistic and relatable as she navigates complicated relationships with her parents, new friendships, and evolving crushes. Pie’s family members and Tess are assumed White; Denise and Jules are cued as Black. All main teen characters are queer.
Gripping and emotionally charged. (Paranormal. 14-18)Pub Date: April 19, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-17721-1
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Jan. 25, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2022
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by Laura Nowlin ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 6, 2024
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
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by Laura Nowlin
by Laura Nowlin ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2013
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
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by Laura Nowlin
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SEEN & HEARD
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