Light and sweet.
Two Kingston High School seniors take first steps toward love in this volume of entries from a popular WEBTOON series.
Bright, bubbly Marcus (he/him) loves to cook. Fortunately, his quiet, nerdy crush, Cog (he/they), loves to eat. Emboldened by Cog’s inhaling his homemade cornets, Marcus offers to make them lunch the next day—and soon, he’s making them lunch every Thursday. The two start spending more time together. Clueless about Marcus’ interest, candid, sincere Cog inadvertently stokes his affection. Cog’s best friend, Toma, however, is not so clueless and encourages Cog to set a firm boundary. But it turns out that Cog doesn’t really mind Marcus’ attention. This slice-of-life rom-com explores the feeling of being in the throes of a first crush. The fun, colorful, and dynamic artistic style suits the lighthearted vibe. However, the plot consists of a series of cute, loosely connected moments, resulting in underdeveloped characters and thin worldbuilding; the latter is exemplified by the book’s unclear setting. The Black-presenting leads are surrounded by a racially diverse cast at a school that has Japanese influences, but without a cultural anchor, some of the characters’ behavior and reactions feel unclear. Rather than the characters themselves driving the narrative, the need to maintain the tension of their unrevealed feelings is central, making the story sometimes feels contrived. Nevertheless, those seeking a straightforward, queer cotton-candy romance likely won’t mind. Readers familiar with manga iconography will notice clues to the leads’ feelings.
Light and sweet. (Graphic romance. 13-18)Pub Date: July 1, 2025
ISBN: 9781998341443
Page Count: 288
Publisher: WEBTOON Unscrolled
Review Posted Online: April 19, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 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 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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