by Michael Harris ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2013
An abbreviated coming-out story for the 21st-century teen.
Out of the closet and into a relationship.
Closeted wallflower Will knows he's gay, but no one else does until he's outed by a Facebook post written by a classmate at his small-town Canadian high school. Still, Will doesn't dive headfirst into the world of gay right off. His first foray is a trip to the gayborhoods of Vancouver, where he visits a coffee shop. He refrains from the dating scene until he creates a profile on an online gay social network (a thinly disguised Manhunt.net). There he meets Riley, a 23-year-old realtor. The two connect: Riley teaches Will how to swim and how to party, and soon Will finds himself enveloped in his world. Things go awry, however, with Riley’s ill-timed revelation of a secret. Harris' work swiftly explores coming out and gay culture in an unflinching way that may be refreshing to readers who've grown tired of the chaste, heavy-handed LGBT novels of the past few years. He packs in lots of raw language and scenes, including one in which Will loses his virginity. The Boys in the Band and other emblems of gay culture run rampant. The only fault in the novel is its length; Harris creates several other intriguing secondary characters who could use more fleshing out, and the ending feels rushed.
An abbreviated coming-out story for the 21st-century teen. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: March 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4594-0192-1
Page Count: 144
Publisher: James Lorimer
Review Posted Online: Jan. 15, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2013
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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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