A debut based on an interesting premise that’s unfortunately lacking in clarity.
In a fantasy setting inspired by Spain, a young necromancer will stop at nothing to raise her sister from the dead.
Nineteen-year-old Azul del Arroyo lives in a world built on the bones of ancient gods. She has a rare and powerful gift: the ability to bring the dead back to life—as long as she has possession of their bones. It’s magic she has used only sparingly. The first time, when she was 10, she resurrected her beloved sister, Isadora. But when, in search of adventure, the two journey to Valanje, the land of the Lord Death himself, tragedy strikes and Isadora dies again. Determined to help her sister defy death a second time, Azul sets out to reclaim Isadora’s remains. Standing in her way is Virel Enjul, Emissary of the Lord Death, who considers necromancy unnatural. They come to a shaky truce after Azul agrees to help him find another necromancer that he’s seeking. The novel offers a compelling premise and a rich foundation for a fantasy tale. However, the worldbuilding, while imaginative, often feels muddled and inconsistent, leaving key elements underexplained. Frequent shifts in perspective among the large cast of characters and a nonlinear timeline that jumps between past and present add to the confusion and may leave readers struggling to piece together the broader narrative.
A debut based on an interesting premise that’s unfortunately lacking in clarity. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Aug. 5, 2025
ISBN: 9781250888235
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 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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