by Michelle Falkoff ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 25, 2016
Despite a too-tidy resolution, readers will be kept guessing until they get there—which will please established mystery fans.
A young woman whose parents pressure her academically becomes entangled in a web of blackmail in this mystery.
Having alienated her friends early on in her high school career due to efforts to conceal both her burgeoning panic disorder and a dermatological condition from them, white, overachieving Kara jumps at the chance to hang out with friendly, smart, Vietnamese-American Alex. When Alex tells her about a new drug that may help her to manage her anxiety during her SAT retake (she fainted during an earlier sitting of the exam), she's desperate enough to try it and buys some illicitly from handsome, charming Raj, a British-Indian student at her high school. It helps her ace the test, but soon Kara begins receiving threatening text messages with photos showing her buying the pills. A by-the-book whodunit ensues, with each clue leading to the next and pulling in a broad and fairly diverse cast of characters. Issues such as family pressure and the stigma around mental health disorders provide a bit of depth, though Kara’s anxiety seems to abate conveniently as the well-paced detective work of the group takes over.
Despite a too-tidy resolution, readers will be kept guessing until they get there—which will please established mystery fans. (Mystery. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 25, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-231053-8
Page Count: 352
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
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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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