by Owen Matthews ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 3, 2016
A fast-moving tale of obsession and redemption.
Capilano High School student Eric Connelly finds that first love can have explosive consequences.
Eric is supposed to become a Connelly Man like his father, Sen. Donovan Connelly, by following the Plan: take a summer internship in a law firm, attend Stanford, build a career in corporate law, have a fine family, and run for office. He must “LIVE UP TO HIS POTENTIAL,” “MEET EXPECTATIONS,” and never, ever, “TARNISH THE FAMILY NAME.” The problem is that “Connelly Men do not hook up with guys,” and Eric has a crush on Jordan Grant, a rich, handsome, “one-way ticket to nowhere.” With Eric and a couple of girls, Jordan forms the Suicide Pack, and the four white students embark on a series of “fixes,” supposedly to fight the corruption and hypocrisy of their town. But it’s a descent into chaos—trashing offices, shoplifting, stealing cars, making bombs, and committing murder. The third-person omniscient narrator never lets the reader forget that Eric is a Connelly Man, even as Eric is anything but, though Eric’s training does, perhaps, allow for “Redemption. (Kind of.)” Matthews’ stylized, telegraphic prose style of short words, short sentences, and frequent, short (even one-word) chapters comes in handy as the story gathers momentum for a riveting final fifth, as Eric must find a way to stop the escalating violence.
A fast-moving tale of obsession and redemption. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: Aug. 3, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-233689-7
Page Count: 528
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2016
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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 ‧ 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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