A delightful addition to the shelf of any romantic.
Fantastical romances are as diverse as their protagonists in this collection of 15 stories by YA favorites.
Maria has finally found Ethan, the ghoul who turned her into an undead creature. When the moment comes to take her revenge, she instead finds herself taking his disembodied head on one last walk around the city in “Undead Ghoul Meet-Cute” by Kendare Blake. Tally Qiu, the protagonist of “A Thousand More” by Chloe Gong, is confronted by Nate Zhou, a new student from Shanghai who claims that they are soul mates, destined to find each other in every reincarnation. Despite her lack of past-life memories, she finds herself growing closer to him as they are partnered for a history project. In Julian Winters’ “Who Will Save Me,” guardian angel Micah struggles to choose between his duty to his 13-year-old charge, Eli, and his love for Eli’s older brother, Zion. Meanwhile, Eli has his own struggles with his identity in the wake of his parents’ negative response to Zion’s coming out. Featuring mystical beings galore, this volume is filled to the brim with enchanting fantasy backdrops and romances both straight and queer and is perfect for sampling or reading straight through. The tone ranges from soft and sweet to terrifying and thrilling, ensuring there is something for nearly every reader and mood. Additional contributors like Sandhya Menon, Adib Khorram, Melissa de la Cruz, and Anna-Marie McLemore add to the appeal.
A delightful addition to the shelf of any romantic. (author biographies) (Paranormal romance anthology. 13-18)Pub Date: Sept. 20, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-20687-4
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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
A troubling depiction of an unhealthy relationship.
A battered girl and an injured rugby star spark up an ill-advised romance at an Irish secondary school.
Beautiful, waiflike, 15-year-old Shannon has lived her entire life in Ballylaggin. Alternately bullied at school and beaten by her ne’er-do-well father, she’s hopeful for a fresh start at Tommen, a private school. Seventeen-year-old Johnny, who has a hair-trigger temper and a severe groin injury, is used to Dublin’s elite-level rugby but, since his family’s move to County Cork, is now stuck captaining Tommen’s middling team. When Johnny angrily kicks a ball and knocks Shannon unconscious (“a soft female groan came from her lips”), a tentative relationship is born. As the two grow closer, Johnny’s past and Shannon’s present become serious obstacles to their budding love, threatening Shannon’s safety. Shannon’s portrayal feels infantilized (“I looked down at the tiny little female under my arm”), while Johnny comes across as borderline obsessive (“I knew I shouldn’t be touching her, but how the hell could I not?”). Uneven pacing and choppy sentences lead to a sudden climax and an unsatisfyingly abrupt ending. Repetitive descriptions, abundant and misogynistic dialogue (Johnny, to his best friend: “who’s the bitch with a vagina now?”), and graphic violence also weigh down this lengthy tome (considerably trimmed down from its original, self-published length). The cast of lively, well-developed supporting characters, especially Johnny’s best friend and Shannon’s protective older brother, is a bright spot. Major characters read white.
A troubling depiction of an unhealthy relationship. (author’s note, pronunciations, glossary, song moments, playlists) (Romance. 16-18)Pub Date: Nov. 28, 2023
ISBN: 9781728299945
Page Count: 626
Publisher: Bloom Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 21, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2023
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