High-stakes competition, swoony romance, and expertly crafted worldbuilding distinguish this debut.
Against a backdrop of phoenix races, a dedicated tamer and a charismatic rider—initially at odds with one another—find love while fighting for their survival.
Kel is trying to keep her family’s farm and aviary afloat. As a phoenix tamer, she looks after and trains the phoenixes for their racing team, the Crimson Howlers; Dira, the team’s winger and Kel’s longtime friend, handles strategy. After the Howlers’ rider dies in a race, Dira connects with brothers Bekn, a mitigator (publicist who seeks sponsors), and Coup, a reckless rider in need of a team. Even though Coup’s arrogance frustrates Kel, they may be able to help each other survive the often-brutal world of phoenix racing. When a fire destroys Kel’s family’s aviary, tech giant Cristo Industries offers to sponsor her and Coup alone. Tempted by their financial generosity, Kel agrees, but she becomes suspicious that there are dark motives behind their interest in her and Savita, her phoenix. The relationships are a strength of the story: Kel’s love for and commitment to Savita adds layers to the suspenseful conflict, and Kel and Coup’s eventual romance creates bonds that strengthen the emotional reserves they’ll need to draw upon. The richly imagined island world, with its elaborate racing tracks and variety of mythical creatures, comes together seamlessly. Kel and Coup are cued white, and Dira has dark brown skin.
High-stakes competition, swoony romance, and expertly crafted worldbuilding distinguish this debut. (content warning, excerpt from The Saltan Bestiary) (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: July 15, 2025
ISBN: 9780374393427
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: April 19, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2025
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
A worthy second-chance romance.
In this follow-up to 2021’s Better Than the Movies, a 20-year-old college freshman gets a second chance at his dreams.
After the death of his father and his mother’s subsequent physical and emotional disappearance, Wes Bennett left behind all of his plans and the girl he made them with to go home and take care of Sarah, his younger sister. But now, Sarah has graduated, his mom is back on her feet, and by some miracle, Wes has an offer to pitch for UCLA’s baseball team. Liz Buxbaum, the girl he’s always loved, works for the university’s athletic department, taking photos and video of the team for social media, which means that maybe he can have a second chance at love, too. But since Wes left, Liz has made every effort to protect herself from ever feeling that broken again; there’s no room for love, because she doesn’t believe in it anymore. Or she doesn’t want to. This second-chance sports romance includes fake dates, quippy and quirky best friends, real heartache, and the sweet ache of first love. The clever dialogue keeps readers from drowning in the main characters’ emotional push-and-pull. Reading the first novel isn’t necessary for appreciating this one, although knowing the full history between Wes and Liz will only add to the ache and longing readers feel from and for them. Main characters are cued white.
A worthy second-chance romance. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781665947138
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
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