A diverse, fast-paced, feminist romance.
Parvin Mohammadi is about to start high school with something she’s never had before: a boyfriend.
After a summer of hijinks on the beach, Wesley finally asks Parvin out—after giving her a romantic first kiss. But a few days later, at freshman orientation, Wesley dumps Parvin for being “too much.” Determined to make Wesley jealous, the Iranian/White 14-year-old decides to get bisexual sophomore dreamboat Matty Fumero to ask her to homecoming. But she’s convinced that she’s going to have to change into the kind of girl she thinks boys like: someone quiet, shy, and the opposite of everything that makes Parvin herself. Parvin’s best friends—gay, Mexican American Fabian and pansexual, Korean American Ruth—don’t approve of her plan, but they stand by her nonetheless. Even better, despite the government ban on travelers from several majority-Muslim countries, Parvin’s aunt Sara is hoping to visit from Iran in a few months, and Parvin knows that she can do anything with her favorite relative by her side. In the process of trying to redo her personality, Parvin starts to realize who she really is, who she wants to be, and, most importantly, whose love she can count on no matter who she might become. Parvin’s narratorial voice sparkles with wit and pathos, and her journey toward self-acceptance seamlessly incorporates political and emotional realities. Characters, including Parvin’s enemies, family, and friends, are fully developed and a pleasure to read about.
A diverse, fast-paced, feminist romance. (Romance. 13-18)Pub Date: May 18, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-10942-7
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: March 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
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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