Not only does Kristen deserve better, so do readers.
The romance between musicians Eli and Kristen is plagued with discordant notes.
Eli’s image as a rock god is all about his hard-rock band, but readers are supposed to believe he’s really a nice guy whose priority is his severely autistic sister, Anna. When he hears Kristen and their high school production of Cats, Eli is so attracted to her voice—and her body—that he takes a photo of her and posts it to the band’s Twitter account: “This cat’s HAWT!” (Irritatingly, this conflicts with the back-cover summary that implies that he’s an innocent victim of an out-of-context post.) With the narrative clumsily integrating “screenshots” of social media into the transitions between their two perspectives, Kristen starts singing with the band. But the staged online battle that becomes #KrisVsEli quickly gets out of control, with Kristen facing misogynistic comments and physical threats. Eli brushes aside her concerns and keeps focusing on the band’s success and his desire for Kristen. Even when Kristen is assaulted by a fan, Eli doesn’t seem particularly concerned. But when fan behavior harms Anna, too, Eli finally wakes up. Although Eli clearly cares about his sister, it’s not enough to overcome his sexist persona and his too-late epiphany. Like Eli, his family, and Kristen, the supporting cast is a white one.
Not only does Kristen deserve better, so do readers. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4926-3278-8
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2017
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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