Poignant and moving, with an undercurrent of romance.
A meet-cute moment between two Fresno seniors transforms a mediocre prom night into an evening of unplanned adventure.
When Sikh teen Sunny Gill’s brother, Goldy, died, he left behind a chaotic journal that Sunny has decided to fill with a list of uncharacteristically impulsive goals, starting with getting a makeover and going to prom. The timing coincides with Goldy’s barsi, marking the anniversary of his death, but Sunny isn’t ready to face the finality it represents or explain to all the aunties and uncles why he shaved his beard and stopped wearing a turban. He’s also not in the mood to see his best friend, West African British Ngozi, whose impending post-graduation departure to attend Berkeley he resents. That doesn’t stop Ngozi from enlisting the help of Hmong American classmate Mindii Vang to rescue Sunny from prom and coax him into attending the Snollygoster Soiree, an annual event dedicated to Ngozi and Sunny’s favorite fantasy book series. With several hours to kill, Mindii and Sunny pass the time by making rash decisions to add to his list. The novel’s premise is simple, allowing Sunny’s layered characterization and conflicting emotions to take center stage: His varied interests include cosplay, crochet, and heavy metal, and he struggles with stuttering and insecurity. Mindii is an empathetic partner whose willingness to open up about her own grief shows Sunny that he’s not as alone as he thinks.
Poignant and moving, with an undercurrent of romance. (Fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: Feb. 8, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-10997-7
Page Count: 300
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 14, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2021
PERSPECTIVES
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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