An adorable romance with strong coming-of-age elements.
A sweet queer love story unfolds on a train.
This accessible novel for reluctant readers features two charming leads readers can’t help but root for. Ben Ross loves his comfort zone, and he avoids making waves. Caleb Khoury is the cool guy from school Ben barely knows, although he’s upset with him: Last week Caleb accidentally broke Ben’s phone when the basketball he threw hit Ben by mistake, leaving him unable to text anyone or listen to music for nine days. As usual, Ben spent his March break visiting his dad in Toronto even though they don’t particularly get along. Now, all he really wants is to get back to Ottawa, but his seatmate for the train ride home is none other than Caleb. Most of the story takes place during the five hours they share on the train as the boys learn they have more in common than they knew. Ben discovers that Caleb is also queer—not gay like him but bisexual. And what brings that up is an attractive guy on the train who’s definitely into Caleb, something that makes Ben feel…strange. Not that he has any right to feel jealous; after all, it’s not like he’s developing a crush on Caleb, is he? The cute banter between the boys will keep readers engaged as the sparks fly and they look past first impressions. Caleb is cued as having Middle Eastern heritage; Ben reads White.
An adorable romance with strong coming-of-age elements. (Romance. 13-18)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2023
ISBN: 9781459417274
Page Count: 176
Publisher: James Lorimer
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
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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