by Nikki Sheehan ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 8, 2017
A tension-filled and provocative premise commands readers’ attention even if it ultimately misses the mark. (Fiction. 13-18)
A boy newly arrived to the United States is locked in an outdoor kennel by his abusive adoptive father in this thriller.
JC and the family dog, Boy, are banished together to the enclosure for an untold offense against the violent, temperamental husband of JC’s kind, loving adoptive mother. Melanie is missing, and JC desperately hopes for her return, expressed in short, stream-of-consciousness–style musings addressed to Boy as together they endure hunger and exposure to the elements at the hands of their keeper. Interspersed are explanatory chapters written in more traditional form about JC’s harrowing back story—his abduction from his home to an orphanage, the earthquake that wreaked havoc on his home country, and his introduction to Melanie, an American doctor who eventually brings him into the U.S. with a false passport. All of the main characters are black: JC is Haitian, Melanie is Haitian-American, and her husband is described as having brown skin. Though some attempt is made to explain the motivations for the man’s behavior, his role as villain feels one-dimensional. While readers will be moved by JC’s tragic story, his internal monologues seem to go on too long, finally capped off with an overly neat conclusion.
A tension-filled and provocative premise commands readers’ attention even if it ultimately misses the mark. (Fiction. 13-18) (Fiction13-18)Pub Date: Aug. 8, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-78607-210-8
Page Count: 252
Publisher: Oneworld Publications
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2017
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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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