In her uniquely urbane, savage, savagely funny way, Kerr (“Hello,” I Lied, 1998, etc.) sends a trio of teenagers into the terra incognita between “Like” and “Love,” as past sins come home to roost in a small Pennsylvania town. A party invitation brings Edgar Cayce Tobbit, Neal, his friend from group therapy, and Julie, lonely adopted niece of widowed billionaire Rosalind Slaymaster, together. Various triangles develop, all with unequal sides; put too simply, Julie falls for Neal but is more comfortable with E.C. around, while E.C. feels her taking up permanent residence in his awareness, and Neal, less deeply involved, struggles to find the vocabulary to explain what’s going on. Presiding over the tale is Rosalind, orphaned child of retarded parents and former worker in the local funeral home, who grew up the butt of constant derision until swept away by a Texas oilman, only to return to exact revenge. Rosalind is sharp-tongued, utterly ruthless, and decidedly weird—for Peale, her constant companion and dancing partner, is a doll with a place at every dinner table, lavish living quarters, a large tailored wardrobe, even a passport. Thinking E.C. no threat, Rosalind enlists him as Julie’s platonic buddy, not only coming to regret her decision when photos of a skinny-dipping session come to light, but to suffer a nervous breakdown after E.C., in a vain effort to keep Julie from being whisked back to Texas, “kidnaps” Peale, who is subsequently eaten by his Airedale. Thick with ironies, oddball humor, subplots, and complications, featuring a cast of smart, variously flawed characters, nearly all of whom have achieved, at best, a fragile emotional equilibrium after losing loved ones, this again demonstrates Kerr’s uncommon gift for chewy romantic comedies built around complex emotional situations. (Fiction. 12+)
Pub Date: May 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-06-028435-8
Page Count: 244
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2000
IN THE NEWS
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
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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