A charming series opener.
In this queer romance set in a boarding school, two boys tentatively find a connection.
British schoolboys Liam Schwartz and Milo Dunstan are good friends, who truly pay attention to each other and are always together at school. They typically go home at the weekends, but Liam’s dad doesn’t encourage “sleepovers”—he doesn’t think they’re manly enough—making it hard for them to visit one another. His dad’s toxic attitudes affect the way Liam sees the world, but as the teens finally stop dancing around the fact that their feelings venture into terrain that goes beyond friendship, it becomes clear that their attraction is reciprocal—and impossible to ignore. But some things are far too hard to talk about, especially when there’s a lot on the line. Liam doesn’t like to lie, and Milo isn’t the best at subterfuge himself, but if that’s what it takes to be together, it might be worth it. The boys’ chemistry is intense, and their fondness for each other is palpable throughout their funny, heartening, and ultimately satisfying journey. The slightly retro full-color illustrations portray a largely white-presenting cast that evokes the Archie comics. The British setting is minimally developed in the language and artwork and lacks cultural texture. Nevertheless, this feel-good story features appealing banter among the characters and touches upon important themes of coming out and good communication in relationships.
A charming series opener. (Graphic romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Aug. 19, 2025
ISBN: 9781250330710
Page Count: 240
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: May 16, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2025
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
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations.
Magic, mystery, and love intertwine and invite in this newest take on the “enchanted circus” trope.
Sisters raised by their abusive father, a governor of a colonial backwater in a world vaguely reminiscent of the late 18th century, Scarlett and Donatella each long for something more. Scarlett, olive-skinned, dark of hair and attitude, longs for Caraval, the fabled, magical circus helmed by the possibly evil Master Legend Santos, while blonde, sunny Tella finds comfort in drink and the embraces of various men. A slightly awkward start, with inconsistencies of attitude and setting, rapidly smooths out when they, along with handsome “golden-brown” sailor Julian, flee to Caraval on the eve of Scarlett’s arranged marriage. Tella disappears, and Scarlett must navigate a nighttime world of magic to find her. Caraval delights the senses: beautiful and scary, described in luscious prose, this is a show readers will wish they could enter. Dresses can be purchased for secrets or days of life; clocks can become doors; bridges move: this is an inventive and original circus, laced with an edge of horror. A double love story, one sensual romance and the other sisterly loyalty, anchors the plot, but the real star here is Caraval and its secrets.
Immersive and engaging, despite some flaws, and destined to capture imaginations. (Fantasy. 14 & up)Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-250-09525-1
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2016
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